How Bengaluru surgeon 'killed' wife with surgical drug after 'meticulous planning'
Dr Mahendra Reddy allegedly administered a lethal dose of anesthesia to Dr Kruthika Reddy, around six months ago, disguising the murder as a natural death
Six months after the sudden death of a 28-year-old dermatologist was written off as a natural death, police said that her husband, Dr Mahendra Reddy, allegedly orchestrated her killing with surgical precision, said news reports.
The couple had been married for less than a year, having tied the knot on May 26, 2024.
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The killing
Mahendra, a 32-year-old general surgeon at Victoria Hospital, Bengaluru, was arrested on October 14 for allegedly murdering his wife, Dr Kruthika Reddy, by administering a lethal dose of anaesthesia under the pretext of medical treatment.
Quoting the police, a Hindustan Times report said that Mahendra used his professional expertise and intimate knowledge of his wife’s health to plan the crime “with clinical precision.”
“Mahendra meticulously planned his wife’s murder. He was aware of her medical vulnerabilities and exploited them using his professional knowledge,” Whitefield DCP M Parashuram told HT.
Meticulous planning
On April 21, Mahendra administered intravenous (IV) medication to Kruthika at their home, claiming it was for gastric discomfort.
The next day, he took her to her parents’ residence in Marathahalli, saying she needed rest, and returned that night to give another IV dose, according to a PTI report.
On April 23, Kruthika complained of pain at the IV site. Mahendra allegedly advised her via WhatsApp not to remove it and promised to visit that evening. Around 9.30 p.m., he entered her room and gave her another injection.
The following morning, April 24, Kruthika was found unresponsive. Despite being a doctor himself, Mahendra reportedly did not attempt CPR. She was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival.
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Post-mortem reveals truth
A postmortem and subsequent Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) analysis confirmed the presence of anesthetic substances in her organs, indicating that her death was not natural.
Based on these findings and a complaint filed by Kruthika's father, K Muni Reddy, police converted the initial Unnatural Death Report (UDR) to a murder case and arrested Mahendra under Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
“Our daughter believed her marriage was built on love and respect. But the same medical knowledge meant to save lives was used to end hers,” said Muni Reddy.
Police later learned that Mahendra was aggrieved after discovering that Kruthika had pre-existing gastric and metabolic disorders, information her family had allegedly withheld before the marriage.
This revelation reportedly fuelled resentment in him that culminated in a meticulously planned poisoning.
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Behind medical tragedy
Even after her death, Mahendra reportedly maintained composure, behaving as though it were a medical tragedy. When questioned, he showed no emotion and insisted he was innocent.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh praised the team for “unravelling a murder disguised as a medical tragedy.”
Kruthika, a respected dermatologist, had been preparing to open her own clinic, Skin & Scalpel, on May 4. But she died before she could fulfill her dream.
She completed her MBBS at Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences, earned her MD from Navodaya Medical College, Raichur, and a DNB in Dermatology, Venereology, and Leprosy from NBEMS.