Dharwad doctor’s wife arrested for his murder and attack on son, hospitalised; Police probe domestic dispute angle

DHARWAD: A brutal murder has taken place at Ranka Stella apartment in Barakotri in Dharwad. Dr Kiran Honnavar (45), who was working as an anesthesiologist at Chirayu Hospital, was killed, suspectedly by his wife Dr Priyanka, on Tuesday night. In addition, their 8-year-old son Nihit was also subjected to a brutal knife attack and the child is now fighting between life and death.

For the last 10-12 years, Dr Kiran Honnavar had been living with his wife Priyanka and son Nihit in a house at Ranka Stella apartment in Dharwad. Priyanka was also Kiran’s second wife. Kiran had divorced his first wife. While Dr. Kiran worked as an anesthesiologist at Chirayu Hospital, his wife Priyanka was also an eye doctor. Son Nihit was a bit intellectually disabled. It’s not known what dispute there was between this family.

It is said that there was some domestic quarrel between the couple on Tuesday night. When the husband and son were sleeping at night, wife Priyanka attacked them with a knife. Whenever anyone called Dr Kiran, she gave the excuse that he was resting. Even though her child was lying in a pool of blood gasping for breath, the mother sat on the bed scrolling on her mobile.

Even on Wednesday afternoon, when Dr. Kiran’s relatives called her, she did not answer the calls. Becoming suspicious, his relatives came to Dharwad and knocked on the house door, but she did not open it. When the matter was brought to the police’s attention, the police opened the door and found that a murder had taken place there.

Police Commissioner Shashikumar, who visited the spot, found Dr Kiran lying in a pool of blood, and because Nihit was still breathing a little, the Police Commissioner himself picked up the child and got him admitted to the hospital. When everyone went inside the house, Priyanka alone was sitting on the bed. In addition, injections and various medicines were also found on the bed.

“Because Kiran was not answering calls, when we ourselves came to the spot and checked, we came to know about the murder”, said Kiran’s father-in-law Raju, in tears.

Police Commissioner Shashikumar told the media on Wednesday, “Priyanka attacked Dr Kiran and his son with a knife and stabbed him more than 10 times. She also attacked Nihit twice with the knife and later attempted to end her life by injecting herself with insulin, due to which her sugar level had dropped. She has been arrested and admitted to KIMS Hospital. After she recovers, we will question her about the motive for the murder”.

After the post-mortem examination on Wednesday, the body of Dr Kiran was taken to his native village Hebbala for the last rites. His sisters, friends and colleagues were also present at the hospital mortuary during the autopsy.

A doctor was found murdered in his own flat while his wife was found doomscrolling the mobile in the next room and taking his phone calls telling his family and friends he is taking rest or gone to duty
After 1 day someone went to his house and then called police
The biggest… pic.twitter.com/UeTPv4vtkG

— Swathi Bellam (@BellamSwathi) July 16, 2026

Dr Kiran and Dr Priyanka met on a matrimonial site had it was the second marriage for both. It was while searching for a new partner that Dr. Kiran and Priyanka came together through the matrimonial site. Dr Kiran came up from extreme poverty. He was an excellent anesthesiologist. When he first got married, cracks appeared in the family, so he divorced his first wife and married Priyanka through a matrimonial site. Priyanka had also divorced her first husband and married Dr Kiran.

Originally from Hebbala near Sankeshwar, Dr Kiran came from a farming family. His father even sold the land he owned to fund Kiran’s education. Starting from there, Dr Kiran pursued his studies and got admission under the government quota. Just when it seemed their family would run smoothly, for some reason cracks appeared between them too. They had been married for nine years and also had an 8-year-old son named Nihit.

Dr Kiran’s relative Raju alias Shantinath said, “There is a possibility that Priyanka attacked Dr. Kiran with a knife and murdered him on Tuesday night while he was sleeping. There is also information that she attacked her son. Because of the presence of mind shown by Police Commissioner N. Shashikumar, the child has now escaped life-threatening danger. There is also suspicion that Priyanka may have taken insulin”.

“Whether it was a domestic dispute or something else, Priyanka, the second wife who was supposed to light up Dr Kiran’s life, ended Kiran’s breath. Dr Kiran’s service was unforgettable. He was an excellent anesthesiologist. He showed special care for the poor, said Dr Vishwanath Patil and other doctors who worked with him.