Ayurvedic Doctor Kills Elderly Couple With Anaesthetic Overdose in Karnataka’s Shivamogga

Shivamogga: Police in Karnataka’s Shivamogga district have cracked the murder case of an elderly couple, who were found dead under suspicious circumstances in Bhadravati, arresting their nephew, an Ayurvedic doctor, for allegedly killing them by administering an overdose of anaesthesia.

The bodies of 78-year-old Chandrappa and his 75-year-old wife Jayamma were found lying in separate rooms of their house at Bhutanagudi Layout under Bhadravati Old Town police station limits on Tuesday. Initially, the deaths were registered as an Unnatural Death Report (UDR) due to the absence of visible injuries. However, further investigation revealed that the couple were victims of a pre-planned and cold-blooded murder, police said.

Addressing a press conference, Shivamogga Superintendent of Police B. Nikhil said the accused has been identified as Mallesh, Chandrappa’s nephew and a Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) graduate. Mallesh had previously worked at reputed hospitals in Shivamogga but was removed from his jobs and was facing severe financial distress.

“Mallesh was deeply in debt and had borrowed money from multiple sources. He had earlier approached his uncle seeking a loan of Rs 15 lakh, which was refused. This appears to have triggered the crime”, SP Nikhil said.

According to the police, Mallesh visited the couple’s house on January 19 between 1 pm and 2 pm, under the pretext of checking on their health. Using medical terminology, he convinced Chandrappa and Jayamma that injections would help relieve their knee pain and other ailments. He also asked for their old medical reports, which were later found placed openly on the table—an unusual detail that raised suspicion during the crime scene examination.

Mallesh then allegedly administered Propofol, a powerful anaesthetic drug, to both victims. Police said Propofol should only be used by trained anaesthesiologists under strict monitoring. “Instead of the permissible dose of 1-2 mg, the accused injected 50 mg each to both Chandrappa and Jayamma,” the SP said.

Within minutes of the injection, both victims lost consciousness and suffered a sudden drop in blood pressure, leading to their deaths. The accused later moved the bodies into separate rooms to avoid suspicion.

After committing the crime, Mallesh allegedly removed 60 to 80 grams of gold jewellery from the victims and pledged it at a pawn shop. He reportedly used the money to repay some of his outstanding debts.

The presence of untouched food and medical reports at the scene further strengthened police suspicion, leading to Mallesh’s arrest. Bhadravati police solved the case within 24 hours, officials said. Further investigation is underway to verify all financial transactions linked to the accused.

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