Sister’s Suspicion Cracks Bengaluru Doctor’s Anaesthesia Murder: Blow-by-Blow Account

Sister’s Suspicion Cracks Bengaluru Doctor’s Anaesthesia Murder: Mahendra Reddy, a 31-year-old general surgeon, was taken into custody for allegedly murdering his wife, who was also a physician, in Bengaluru, following the confirmation of an anaesthesia agent in her organs by a Forensic Science Laboratory report, six months post her passing.

Initially assessed as a case of natural death, it later progressed to a murder case due to her sister’s dogged pursuit of answers.

Sister of the victim's pursuit of answers prompts investigation into ‘natural’ death.

It was an older sister’s quest for answers that revealed what police suspect was a carefully executed homicide. On April 24, Dr Kruthika M Reddy, 29, a dermatologist, was brought unresponsive to Cauvery Hospital, where she was reported dead. Her family and doctors presumed it was a natural death. However, her sister, Dr Nikitha M Reddy, a radiologist, was not convinced, The Indian Express reported.

Nikitha Reddy's determination to know the reason for the death, led the hospital to submit a Medico Legal Case (MLC) with the Marathahalli police, who opened the case for unnatural death. Months later, she was correct, the report continued.

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Forensic results indicate lethal drug in deceased’s body

A forensic analysis conducted by the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) identified Propofol, a restricted anesthetic utilized solely in hospital settings, in Kruthika Reddy's internal organs, as well as on medical apparatus claimed to have been employed by her spouse, Mahendra Reddy.

According to the Bengaluru Police, Mahendra gave a lethal quantity of Propofol between April 21 and April 23, while taking care of Kruthika at her parent's house for "gastritis". He was captured in Manipal, in Udupi district, which is about 400 kilometers from Bengaluru.

“All the medical equipment used by Mahendra for Kruthika’s treatment at her parents' house was seized following her death. Initially, it seemed as though Kruthika had died of natural causes. However, the post-mortem report points to traces of Propofol in the equipment and in Kruthika’s organs,” Whitefield DCP K Parashurama said.

Husband remains composed amid scrutiny

Mahendra, who has been employed at Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru, was brought before a magistrate on Wednesday and is now in police detention for nine days. Even throughout the interrogation, he reportedly stayed composed, asserting that his wife's death was routine and expressed no emotion.

Investigators believe that Mahendra's knowledge as a healthcare worker in combination with his knowledge of Kruthika's health status, gave him the ability to conduct the act "with clinical precision".

Family says it was related to financial disputes/affairs

Kruthika's brother-in-law Mohan Reddy TS informed the family had spent about ₹2 crore on the wedding of the couple in May 2024. “After treating Kruthika on April 23, Mahendra went off to sleep in another room at her parents' house. The next morning, she was found unresponsive... Not only did Mahendra insist that a post-mortem was unnecessary, he also wanted to cremate her body in his hometown. However, my wife refused to allow the cremation without a post-mortem,” Mohan told IE.

Police are looking into whether finance disputes and extramarital affairs was the motive. “In October 2024, Mahendra had sought financial help from Kruthika’s family to set up a hospital in Bengaluru... He seemed unhappy when they suggested he gain more experience,” Mohan added.

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Events leading up to Kruthika’s death

On April 21st, Kruthika reported symptoms of gastritis, and Mahendra subsequently initiated IV therapy at their home.

On April 22nd, Mahendra transported Kruthika to her parental home on the pretext of needing rest. He returned that night and gave her an additional IV dose.

On April 23rd, Kruthika sent a text message to Mahendra regarding the IV being uncomfortable for her. Mahendra insisted she not remove the IV and visited her again that same night to administer an additional IV dosage.

On April 24th, Kruthika was found to be unresponsive in the morning. Mahendra and the family rushed Kruthika to Cauvery hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

This course of events, and the FSL report, led police to change the cause of death from natural causes, to murder.

Medical mystery to murder

Kruthika, an accomplished dermatologist, earned her MBBS from the Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences, her MD at Navodaya Medical College, Raichur, and subsequently, a DNB in Dermatology, Venereology, and Leprosy under NBEMS. Kruthika was planning to open her own clinic entitled "Skin & Scalpel", on May 4.

The doctors from Victoria Hospital remembered Kruthika as a compassionate, dedicated, intelligent, and sensitive clinician. “She always spoke about empowering women through dermatology,” said one colleague. “It’s devastating that her own husband betrayed that trust.”

The police commended the investigative team for thoroughly investigating the murder that had been disguised as a natural death. The police remarked that the case illustrated how knowledge and understanding of one's profession could be exploited to commit a crime.

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