A 45-year-old doctor was stabbed to death, while his eight-year-old mentally challenged son was found critically injured at their apartment in Karnataka's Dharwad on Wednesday night. Police have taken the doctor's wife, who is also a medical practitioner, into custody for questioning.
The deceased has been identified as Dr Kiran Honannavar, an anaesthesiologist at Chirayu Hospital. According to police, he was stabbed multiple times inside his flat at Renuka Stella Apartment on Karnataka University Road.
Investigators said only Dr Kiran, his wife Dr Priyanka, and their son Nihit were present in the apartment at the time of the incident. Preliminary findings suggest that no outsider is likely to have entered the high-security residential complex. Nihit, who sustained stab injuries, has been admitted to a hospital.
According to media reports, several friends and relatives tried to contact Dr Kiran on Tuesday night and Wednesday. However, all the calls were answered by Dr Priyanka, who reportedly told them that her husband was either busy or had gone to the hospital.
When Dr Kiran remained unreachable until Wednesday evening, concerned family members visited the apartment and found him lying in a pool of blood. They also discovered Nihit with stab injuries inside the house.
"The apartment has a very secure environment. Each residence is covered by CCTV cameras, making the possibility of an unknown person entering very low. No dispute with neighbours has been reported. The exact time of death can be determined only after the post-mortem. We received information around 7 pm and reached the spot immediately," Police Commissioner N. Shashikumar was quoted as saying in a Times of India report.
Police said Dr Priyanka's initial statements were inconsistent, and she will be questioned further as investigators work to establish the motive behind the killing. Meanwhile, Dr Kiran's family has filed a complaint alleging that she was responsible for the murder.
Police are continuing their investigation, and no arrests have been formally announced so far.
