In a secured apartment complex in Karnataka’s Dharwad, relatives forced their way into a flat after hours of unanswered calls. Inside, they found Dr Kiran Honannavar, a 45-year-old anaesthetist, dead on the floor in a pool of blood. His eight-year-old son lay injured in another room. The boy’s mother, also a doctor, was on the bed scrolling through her phone.
Police were alerted by neighbours and entered the Ranka Stello Apartments on Karnataka University Road of Dharwad, which lies 435 km from capital Bengaluru. They found Dr Honannavar with fatal stab wounds to the neck. His son had serious stab injuries but was still breathing and was rushed to a private hospital, where he remains under treatment.
Dr Priyanka, an ophthalmologist, has been taken into custody for questioning. Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner N Shashikumar said preliminary findings indicate no outsider entered the flat. The complex is highly secured, and only the couple and their child were inside at the time.
A video from inside the house shows Dr Honannavar lying face down, shirtless and dead in one room. In what looks like another room, the son can be seen lying on the floor, with a few pieces of clothing placed on his body. Dr Priyanka can be seen in the same room, lying on the bed and scrolling through her phone.
Relatives told police they had been trying to contact Dr Honannavar since Tuesday evening. According to the commissioner, Dr Priyanka answered the calls and gave different accounts, first saying her husband was resting, then that he had gone out. When contact was not established, family members visited the apartment and discovered the scene. Investigators describe the wife as being in a state of shock and making inconsistent statements.
Police are examining CCTV footage from the complex and interviewing both families. A case of murder has been registered at the Suburban Police Station. Officers say the incident appears linked to a domestic dispute, but the exact motive and sequence of events are still under investigation.The child is reported to have autism, though police have said this needs verification. A post-mortem examination on Dr Honannavar is expected to provide further details.No evidence of any conflict with neighbours has emerged so far. Further investigation is continuing.