Bengaluru Surgeon Arrested for Allegedly Killing Wife with Lethal Dose of Anesthesia

Mahendra Reddy, a 32-year-old general surgeon at Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru, allegedly used his medical expertise not to save a life—but to take one.

Six months after the sudden death of 28-year-old dermatologist Dr. Kruthika Reddy was deemed natural, police now say her husband meticulously planned her murder with the precision of a surgeon, Hindustan Times reported.

Mahendra was arrested on October 14 for allegedly administering a fatal dose of anesthesia to his wife under the pretext of treatment. The couple had been married for less than a year, tying the knot on May 26, 2024.

According to police, Mahendra exploited his professional knowledge and intimate understanding of his wife’s medical history to carry out the act “with clinical precision.”

“Mahendra had planned his wife’s murder meticulously. He knew her medical vulnerabilities and used his expertise to exploit them,” said Whitefield DCP M. Parashuram.

A Carefully Planned Crime

On April 21, Mahendra reportedly administered an intravenous (IV) injection to Kruthika at their home, claiming it was for gastric discomfort. The next day, he took her to her parents’ home in Marathahalli, saying she needed rest, and returned that night to give her another IV dose, according to police accounts cited by PTI.

When Kruthika complained of pain at the IV site on April 23, Mahendra allegedly advised her via WhatsApp not to remove it and said he would visit later that night to give another dose. Around 9:30 p.m., he went to her room and administered the injection.

The following morning, April 24, Kruthika was found unresponsive. Despite being a doctor, Mahendra did not attempt CPR. She was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival.

From Medical Mystery to Murder Case

Initial reports had classified Kruthika’s death as natural. However, postmortem and forensic lab tests later detected anesthetic substances in her organs, confirming that her death was not due to natural causes. Following the findings, police converted the Unnatural Death Report into a murder case based on a complaint filed by her father, K. Muni Reddy.

“Our daughter believed her marriage was built on respect and love. But the same medical knowledge that should have healed others was used to end her life,” Muni Reddy said.

Investigators later learned that Mahendra had been upset after discovering that Kruthika suffered from long-term gastric and metabolic disorders—details her family allegedly hadn’t disclosed before marriage. Police believe this resentment grew over months and culminated in the fatal plan.

Calm After the Crime

Even after his wife’s death, Mahendra reportedly remained calm and insisted it was a medical tragedy. He showed little emotion when questioned and maintained that Kruthika’s death was natural.

Murder Charges Filed

Following the forensic confirmation, police arrested Mahendra under Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh praised the team for “unraveling a murder disguised as a medical tragedy.”

Dr. Kruthika Reddy, a respected dermatologist, had been preparing to launch her own clinic—Skin & Scalpel—on May 4, just days before her death.

An alumna of Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Navodaya Medical College, she had also earned a DNB in Dermatology, Venereology, and Leprosy from NBEMS.

Her colleagues at Victoria Hospital described her as dedicated and compassionate. “She always spoke about empowering women through dermatology,” said one colleague. “It’s devastating that her own husband betrayed that trust.”