Bengaluru: The family of 28-year-old Kritika M Reddy, the dermatologist who was found dead under mysterious circumstances in April, has donated their east Bengaluru house to Iskcon Temple Trust, unable to bear the memories associated with the tragedy.Confirming it, Kritika’s father Muni Reddy K told TOI, “We donated the house as we didn’t want her memories to haunt us by continuing to live there.” He added that the family wanted the space to be used for spiritual and meditative activities so that it radiates “positive energy” and helps their daughter’s soul find peace.The family had been living in the building at Aiyappa Layout near Marathahalli since its construction in 2016. Reddy clarified that the family wanted the house to be a place where spiritual activities could continue constantly and hence chose to donate it to Iskcon temple. It was in this same house that Dr Kritika lost her life. “She came to our house on April 22, two days before her death. (Her husband) Mahendra brought her and stayed with us. We were all happy and spent time together on April 22 and 23,” recalled Muni Reddy. “That night, he administered the drug to her again. The next morning, around 7:30am, her condition worsened, and she was rushed to a nearby hospital where the doctors declared her dead,” he said.Overwhelmed by grief, Muni Reddy said, “People may console us, but only we know the pain of losing our daughter. She was a brilliant student throughout her academic life, including medical studies.” Kritika and Mahendra’s wedding took place on May 26, 2024, after being introduced through mutual friends. Both families approved the alliance after the couple expressed mutual interest. Their pre-wedding photoshoot was held at Dal Lake in Srinagar, J&K, and they began their married life in Mahendra’s house in Gunjur, living with his parents. The couple visited Kritika’s parental home once or twice a month.Mahendra, a gastroenterologist, belongs to a well-established family — his father, Srinivas, along with his elder brother, runs a surgical distribution agency, while his mother Pramila is a homemaker. He also has a twin brother who is also a doctor. According to Kritika’s father, Mahendra initially tried to portray her death as natural, even as doctors advised a postmortem examination. Muni Reddy revealed that Kritika’s sister, Dr Nikitha, insisted on a postmortem, which later confirmed the presence of anaesthesia in her body.Muni Reddy clarified that there was no dowry-related harassment from Mahendra’s side. “In fact, I had built a clinic for both of them to practice together. The clinic was almost ready and was supposed to be inaugurated on May 4. But Mahendra didn’t seem interested in working with her,” he added.Mahendra tight-lipped Following Kritika’s death, police arrested Mahendra at Manipal and brought him to Bengaluru for questioning. He was remanded in nine days of police custody. A senior officer said, “Mahendra is tight-lipped. He claims he never administered the drug. We are still investigating.”Police conducted a mahazar (spot inspection) at his Gunjur residence Thursday and seized laptops, mobile phones, and other items, which have been sent to the forensic science laboratory (FSL) for data retrieval.“We need to establish where Mahendra procured the drug from and what his motive was,” the officer said.“Gastroenteritis is not a major health issue — we suspect he is concealing the real reason. We are also probing rumours about his closeness to another woman.”MSID:: 124609855 413 |
