- Accused Bengaluru surgeon had sent a message to his lover admitting he killed his wife "for her"
- Dr Kruthika Reddy died after being overdosed with Propofol at their Bengaluru home
- Police arrested Mahendra six months after the incident based on forensic evidence
The Bengaluru surgeon, accused of killing his dermatologist wife, had sent a message to his lover shortly after committing the crime, saying: "I killed my wife for you".
According to officials, the general surgeon, Dr Mahendra Reddy, had sent the message to the woman he was in a relationship with on a digital payment application. The police found the message during the forensic analysis of his phone, they said.
The woman was questioned and her statement has been recorded, the police said.
The identity of the woman is not yet disclosed.
Mahendra was arrested six months after he allegedly overdosed his wife, Dr Kruthika Reddy, on an anesthetic drug at their home. The incident took place on April 21. Officials said that Kruthika reportedly fell ill and was rushed to a nearby hospital by her husband - where she was declared dead.
The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report confirmed the presence of Propofol, a powerful anesthetic drug, in the victim's organs, indicating a criminal act. During the inspection at their home, the police recovered key evidence, including a cannula set, an injection tube, and other medical items.
Based on the report, Kruthika's father filed a complaint alleging that his son-in-law had murdered his daughter.
Mahendra was arrested on October 15, with the police suspecting that he had used his medical expertise to make his wife's death appear natural.
"Evidence collected till now points at the role of the husband in the crime, as he was the person who brought her to the hospital initially and didn't mention anything that could have gone wrong. He claimed she was not in good health and was undergoing treatment, now we have learnt that she was injected with some sedatives, which shows there was a malicious intention," Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh said.
The couple got married on May 26 last year. They were both working at the Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru.
