Indian Tech Entrepreneur Kills Wife, Son, Then Dies By Suicide In US
An Indian tech entrepreneur allegedly shot dead his wife and one of his sons at their home in the United States last week, said the police. The man, said cops, then died by suicide.
The incident, which was reported from Newcastle in Washington, took place on April 24.
Another son of the couple survived as he was not at home at the time of the incident.
The dead have been identified as Harshavardhana S Kikkeri (57), his wife, Shwetha Panyam (44), and their 14-year-old son.
News broadcasters at the scene reported seeing a child being escorted from the home and comforted by investigators. The King County Sheriff's Office has not yet released the identities of the children.
It is not immediately clear, said the cops, as to what the provocation was for the extreme act.
An investigation is underway, said the police.
Several media reports, quoting neighbours, described the family as friendly but reserved.
Harshvardhan S Kikkeri, who hailed from KR Pet Taluk of Mandya district, was the founder and CEO of HoloWorld, a robotics company headquartered in Mysuru. His wife was the company co-founder.
In 2017, he and Shwetha returned to India and co-founded HoloWorld. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the company folded in 2022 and the tech entrepreneur returned to the US.
At the height of his popularity, the entrepreneur met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to pitch using robots for border security.
The man, an expert in robotics, had also worked for Microsoft in the US.
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