Doctor murdered, 8-year-old son stabbed; wife detained

A 45-year-old doctor was found murdered and his eight-year-old son critically stabbed inside their apartment in Dharwad, Karnataka, on July 15, 2026. Police have taken the doctor's wife, also a physician, into custody for questioning as they investigate the incident, which appears to have stemmed from a domestic dispute.

The deceased has been identified as Dr. Kiran Honannavar, an anesthesiologist at Chirayu Hospital. He lived with his wife, Dr. Priyanka Kattanahalli, an ophthalmologist, and their son in a sixth-floor apartment in the Jayanagar area. The case came to light after family members, unable to reach Dr. Kiran throughout the day, visited the residence in the evening. They discovered him dead in a pool of blood in one room, while his injured son was found in another.

Police Commissioner N. Shashikumar of the Hubballi-Dharwad police said that upon arrival, officers found the child was still breathing and immediately rushed him to a nearby private hospital, where he remains under treatment. Initial findings suggest no outsider entered the high-security apartment at the time of the incident, indicating only the couple and their son were present.