In a chilling twist to the Bengaluru dermatologist murder case, police have discovered that the accused husband, Dr. Mahendra Reddy, allegedly sent disturbing messages to several women after killing his wife.
According to the investigation, Mahendra, a surgeon, used the PhonePe payment app to send the message “I killed my wife for you” to at least four to five women, writing it in the transaction notes section of money transfers. Among the recipients was a medical professional who had previously turned down his romantic proposal, police sources confirmed.
Message Found During Forensic Analysis
Police officials revealed that the messages were uncovered during the forensic analysis of Mahendra’s phone.
Dr. Kruthika Reddy's Murder and Arrest of Husband
Dr. Mahendra Reddy was arrested in October for the alleged murder of his wife, Dr. Kruthika, a dermatologist. Investigators say he administered Propofol, an anaesthetic drug restricted to hospital use, which led to her death.
Both Mahendra and Kruthika worked at Victoria Hospital and had married on May 26, 2024. Less than a year later, on April 23, 2025, Kruthika collapsed at her father’s home in Marathahalli, where she had been staying due to health concerns.
Mahendra had reportedly visited her and given intravenous injections over two consecutive days, claiming they were part of her treatment. She was later declared brought dead at a nearby private hospital.
FSL Report Confirms Anaesthetic Poisoning
Initially, the death appeared natural, and police registered an Unnatural Death Report (UDR). However, Kruthika’s sister, Dr. Nikitha M. Reddy, grew suspicious and requested a detailed probe.
Six months later, the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report confirmed the presence of Propofol in multiple organs, proving that the anaesthetic had been deliberately administered.
Following the report, the case was reclassified as murder under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, and Mahendra was arrested from Manipal, Udupi, where he had relocated after the incident.