Karnataka doctor found dead, son stabbed; wife allegedly found using phone beside body
Police are investigating the incident as a murder case, with preliminary findings indicating no one else apart from the doctor's wife was present in the apartment at the time
- Jul 16, 2026,
- Updated Jul 16, 2026 11:37 AM IST
Neighbours in a Dharwad apartment building had been trying to reach the family since morning. Each time they called, Priyanka answered, first saying her husband was resting, then that he had gone out on duty.
By Wednesday evening, when family members arrived at the sixth-floor flat after receiving no response from him, they found Dr Kiran Honannavar dead in a pool of blood. Their eight-year-old son lay nearby with stab injuries. Priyanka was on the bed, scrolling through her phone.
What police found
Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner N Shashikumar arrived at the scene after neighbours raised the alarm. He found Dr Kiran lying dead in one of the rooms. The child, though badly injured, was still breathing. Shashikumar had him rushed to a private hospital immediately. "We are yet to ascertain during the investigation when exactly the child was attacked. Since he was still alive, we shifted him to the hospital immediately," he said.
Who the couple was
Dr Kiran Honannavar, 45, was an anaesthetist at Chirayu Hospital. His wife, Priyanka Kattanahalli, is an MBBS graduate with an MS in Ophthalmology. The family lived together in the sixth-floor apartment opposite Pavan High School, and according to the Commissioner, Kiran's relatives visited frequently.
What the investigation has found so far
Preliminary findings indicate that only the husband, wife and child were inside the apartment at the time of the incident. There is no indication so far that anyone else entered the flat. Police are now working to establish the exact sequence of events and the timeline of when the attack took place.
On Tuesday night and again on Wednesday morning, Kiran's relatives and friends called the couple. Priyanka answered each time, initially saying he was resting, and later that he had stepped out for work. Neighbours too had been trying to reach the family through the day and were told the same.
"We will conduct a detailed investigation to determine what exactly happened, whom she spoke to, what she told them, and the sequence of events inside the apartment," Commissioner Shashikumar said. A murder case has been registered, and the investigation is underway.
Neighbours in a Dharwad apartment building had been trying to reach the family since morning. Each time they called, Priyanka answered, first saying her husband was resting, then that he had gone out on duty.
By Wednesday evening, when family members arrived at the sixth-floor flat after receiving no response from him, they found Dr Kiran Honannavar dead in a pool of blood. Their eight-year-old son lay nearby with stab injuries. Priyanka was on the bed, scrolling through her phone.
What police found
Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner N Shashikumar arrived at the scene after neighbours raised the alarm. He found Dr Kiran lying dead in one of the rooms. The child, though badly injured, was still breathing. Shashikumar had him rushed to a private hospital immediately. "We are yet to ascertain during the investigation when exactly the child was attacked. Since he was still alive, we shifted him to the hospital immediately," he said.
Who the couple was
Dr Kiran Honannavar, 45, was an anaesthetist at Chirayu Hospital. His wife, Priyanka Kattanahalli, is an MBBS graduate with an MS in Ophthalmology. The family lived together in the sixth-floor apartment opposite Pavan High School, and according to the Commissioner, Kiran's relatives visited frequently.
What the investigation has found so far
Preliminary findings indicate that only the husband, wife and child were inside the apartment at the time of the incident. There is no indication so far that anyone else entered the flat. Police are now working to establish the exact sequence of events and the timeline of when the attack took place.
On Tuesday night and again on Wednesday morning, Kiran's relatives and friends called the couple. Priyanka answered each time, initially saying he was resting, and later that he had stepped out for work. Neighbours too had been trying to reach the family through the day and were told the same.
"We will conduct a detailed investigation to determine what exactly happened, whom she spoke to, what she told them, and the sequence of events inside the apartment," Commissioner Shashikumar said. A murder case has been registered, and the investigation is underway.