Shivamogga Ayurvedic doctor in debt kills elderly couple using anaesthetic for gold, arrested

Bhadravati: In a shocking incident, an Ayurvedic doctor under heavy debt has allegedly killed his uncle and aunt by injecting them with an anaesthetic drug to steal their gold and repay his debts. He has been arrested and is currently in police custody on murder charges.

The accused is the son of the deceased man’s younger brother and was working at a reputed private hospital in Shivamogga, but was recently dismissed due to misconduct.

According to the police, the doctor used propofol, a restricted anaesthetic drug commonly used during surgeries, while pretending to treat his uncle for varicose veins. On the day of the incident, instead of the regular treatment, he allegedly injected an excessive dose, which led to their deaths.

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The victims, Chandrappa (80) and his wife Jayamma (70), residents of the Bhutanagudi area in Bhadravati town, were found dead in their house on January 19. Initially, the police registered a case of unnatural death. However, suspicion arose when it was noticed that gold jewellery was missing from the house.

During the investigation, police found that the doctor was facing severe financial pressure after losing a large amount of money in gambling. He had earlier approached Chandrappa seeking a loan of Rs 15 lakh, but was refused. Police confirmed that this led him to plan the murders.

As per a TOI report, the accused visited the couple on Monday afternoon under the excuse of treating Chandrappa for varicose veins. He allegedly injected him with a high dose of anaesthesia, causing a sudden drop in blood pressure and death. He then used the same method on his aunt.

After killing them, the accused allegedly stole around 80 grams of gold jewellery from the house. He later pawned the ornaments, used the money to clear some debts, and transferred Rs 50,000 to his bank account.

The elderly couple had three sons and lived separately, though they spoke to their children daily over the phone. When one of the sons failed to reach them on Monday night, he asked neighbours to check on them the next morning. The neighbours then found the couple dead in their house.

With no immediate clues, the case initially appeared to be a natural death. However, the case turned into a foul play investigation after police noticed that the gold jewellery worn by the couple and the ornaments kept in the cupboard were missing.

Police also became suspicious as the doctor had visited the house on Monday, but did not attend the last rites. After his arrest, the accused reportedly confessed to the crime. Further investigation is ongoing.

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