Indian-origin robotics company CEO kills family, then self, in US
What's the story
Harshavardhana Kikkeri, a 45-year-old entrepreneur from Mysuru, is alleged to have murdered his wife Shwetha (41), and their 14-year-old son before taking his own life.
The tragic incident happened on April 24 at their residence in Newcastle, Washington, in the United States of America.
Reports suggest the couple's younger son wasn't home during the incident and is unharmed.
Discovery
Police discovered gruesome scene
Newcastle police were alerted to the scene by a 911 call last week.
When they arrived, there was blood on a window, a bullet on the street, and three bodies inside the house.
The medical examiner has ruled Shwetha and her son's deaths as homicides and Harshavardhana's as suicide.
What drove this tragic incident is still unknown.
Family response
Kikkeri's mother has left for the US
A family friend of Mysuru confirmed the news of the tragic incident.
The friend also said Harshavardhana's mother, Girija, has left for the US after the incident. His elder brother Chethan, who was also in America, has returned to Mysuru.
Harshavardhana's father, Kikkeri Narayana, was a respected linguist and progressive activist in Karnataka.
Career
Kikkeri founded a robotic company in Mysuru
Harshavardhana is a native of Kikkeri in the KR Pet taluk of Mandya district. He is the founder of HoloWorld, a robotics company based out of Mysuru.
However, the company shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and he later returned to America with his family.
Reports claimed Harshavardhana hadn't come back to Mysuru since 2022.