A 45-year-old anaesthesiologist was found murdered inside his apartment in Dharwad on Wednesday, July 15, while his eight-year-old son was discovered with multiple stab injuries. Police have taken the doctor's wife, who is also a doctor, into custody for questioning.
The deceased has been identified as Dr Kiran Honnannavar, an anaesthesiologist at a private hospital and a resident of Ranka Stello Apartments in Barakotri on Karnataka University Road. Police said he was found dead on a bedroom mattress with multiple stab wounds, including fatal injuries to his neck.
His eight-year-old son was found injured in another room with several stab wounds to his chest. The child was still breathing when police reached the apartment and was immediately shifted to hospital. He is currently undergoing treatment, and his condition is reported to be critical, though police later said he is recovering.
Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner N Shashikumar said Kiran’s wife, Priyanka, an ophthalmologist, has been taken into custody for questioning. He said she appeared to be in a state of shock when officers arrived and was making incoherent and inconsistent statements, making it difficult for investigators to establish what had transpired inside the apartment.
According to police, preliminary investigation suggests that no outsider entered the flat, as the apartment complex is a secured residential building. Police said only Kiran, Priyanka and their son were inside the house at the time of the incident. CCTV footage from the complex will be examined as part of the investigation.
The incident came to light after Kiran's relatives repeatedly tried to contact him. Priyanka allegedly answered several calls made to his phone from July 14 evening onwards, each time giving different explanations, including that he was asleep, unwell or had gone out. The inconsistent responses raised suspicion among family members, who later visited the apartment.
According to police, Priyanka initially refused to open the door. After relatives persisted, she let them in, where they found Kiran lying in a pool of blood and the injured child inside the flat. Police were alerted immediately. When police arrived, Priyanka was reportedly found sitting on the bed and scrolling on her phone.
Police said Kiran had attended a surgery at a local hospital on Tuesday evening and was scheduled to assist in a caesarean section on Wednesday afternoon. When he failed to report for duty, hospital staff contacted his wife, who reportedly said he was asleep and exhausted. Another anaesthesiologist was subsequently arranged for the procedure.
Police said relatives have alleged that the couple had been involved in a domestic dispute and that Priyanka was responsible for the killing. According to family members, the couple had argued a few days earlier and she had allegedly threatened him with a knife. However, police have not confirmed these allegations and said the investigation is continuing.
Commissioner Shashikumar said the complaint lodged by Kiran’s family points to a domestic dispute as the possible motive. He added that the exact circumstances behind the incident would become clear only after further investigation and the post-mortem examination.
According to the commissioner, Kiran appeared to have been attacked while asleep. Police suspect the killing was premeditated, he sustained more than eight stab wounds, and injuries on his hands suggest he attempted to defend himself.
Investigators are also looking into Priyanka's medical condition. In the early hours of Thursday, she was admitted to KMC-RI Hospital after her blood sugar level dropped critically. Doctors said she told them she had self-administered an insulin injection despite not being diabetic. Police are also examining whether Priyanka had any history of mental illness.
