A 45-year-old anesthetist was found stabbed to death inside his apartment in Karnataka’s Dharwad district, while his eight-year-old son suffered serious stab wounds in what police suspect to be a case of domestic violence. The victim’s wife, who is also a doctor, was detained for questioning.
The deceased, Dr Kiran Honanavar, worked in a private hospital and lived with his family in Ranka Stello Apartments on Karnataka University Road, news agency PTI reported.
According to police, Honanavar was found lying in a pool of blood on a mattress with fatal injuries to his neck on Wednesday. The report added that his son was discovered nearby with serious injuries and was taken to the hospital where he is undergoing treatment.
The police said that the preliminary investigation indicates the existence of a domestic dispute, based on a complaint filed by members of the victim’s family.
Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner N Shashikumar said investigators were working to piece together the sequence of events, adding that only the husband, wife and child were inside the apartment, and there was no indication so far that anyone from outside had entered the house.
“Why the accident happened and for what reason needs to be ascertained. Only three people, the husband, wife and child, were in the house. No one came from outside. We need to investigate what actually happened. A case of murder has been registered,” he told reporters.
Also read: Bengaluru man, 24, slits grandmother’s throat after repeated arguments over lack of job
Wife’s “incoherent” statements.
The commissioner said Honanavar’s wife, Dr Priya, was in a state of shock and was making incoherent statements. Police said the exact motive would not become clear until after the investigation.
According to police, Priya allegedly answered phone calls made by relatives and friends on her husband’s phone from Tuesday evening onwards, giving different explanations about his whereabouts each time.
Adding to the sequence of events, India Today reported that when concerned family members visited the apartment on Wednesday after failing to reach Honanavar, they found the doctor and his son lying in pools of blood, while Priya was allegedly lying on the bed and scrolling through her mobile phone. The report added that the neighbors had been trying to contact the family since the morning, but Priya told them that her husband had gone out to work.
Also Read: Bengaluru man held for murder of 11-month-old daughter; Forensic evidence reveals a cover-up
Police said the child is believed to be autistic, but this has not yet been verified.
A murder case has been registered, and further investigations are underway to determine the exact sequence of events and the motive behind the killing.
(With inputs from PTI)
