Latest news with #Shwetha
Gulf News
01-05-2025
- Gulf News
Indian-origin tech entrepreneur, family found dead in Washington home
In a tragic incident that has shocked communities both in the United States and India, a 57-year-old Indian-origin tech entrepreneur from Mysuru, along with his wife and teenage son, was found dead in a suburban home in Newcastle, Washington. The incident, reported by The Seattle Times and confirmed by the King County Medical Examiner's Office, occurred on April 24. Harshavardhana S. Kikkeri, founder and CEO of the robotics firm HoloWorld based in Mysuru, was discovered deceased alongside his wife, Shwetha Panyam, 41, and their 14-year-old son, Dhruva Kikkeri. Shwetha was also the co-founder of HoloWorld. The couple's seven-year-old son is the only known survivor. Authorities responded to a 911 call around 7pm at a townhouse on 129th Place Southeast. Deputies arriving at the scene found signs of violence, including blood on the front window and a single hollow-point bullet on the street, according to King County Sheriff's spokesperson Brandyn Hull. While the motive remains unclear, the King County Medical Examiner has ruled the deaths of Shwetha and Dhruva as homicides. Harshavardhana's death was classified as suicide. However, law enforcement has not confirmed whether the case is being treated as a murder-suicide. 'The investigation is ongoing,' Hull stated. 'Detectives are working diligently to piece together what led to this heartbreaking incident. Until then, the Sheriff's Office won't be releasing further updates.'
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Karnataka tech CEO, wife, and son found dead in US home; former colleague mourns 'tragic loss'
The tech community in Karnataka is reeling from the shocking news of the deaths of Harshavardhana Kikkeri , CEO of robotics company HoloWorld , his wife Shwetha Harshavardhana , and their young son Dhruv. Shwetha was also the president of the company. #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack A Chinese shadow falls on Pahalgam terror attack case probe How India can use water to pressure Pakistan Buzzkill: How India can dissolve the Pakistan problem, not just swat it The family was found dead at their home in the United States, with local police indicating a possible tragic murder-suicide . While official investigations are underway, the news has sent waves of grief and disbelief through those who knew the couple. Stafford Michahial , Group CTO at PRS Neurosciences and former Deputy CTO at Holosuit, the company Kikkeri founded, shared a tribute with ET, highlighting the profound loss felt by those close to the family. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Crossout 2.0: Supercharged Crossout Play Now Undo by Taboola by Taboola "I still struggle to find the right words," Michahial said in a statement. He recalled how Harsha and Shwetha welcomed him into their vision for Holosuit in 2017, a journey that saw him grow from a developer to their CTO. "We shared late nights building technology, dreams, and friendships that felt like family. And over time, that's exactly what we became." Michahial painted a picture of Harshavardhana as a "man of calm presence — spiritual, meditative, and full of focused energy," someone who believed in him and significantly shaped his life and career. He described Shwetha as a "steady, brilliant leader and a loving soul who held the team — and her family — together." He said their son, Dhruv, was: "always full of light, laughter, and innocence… they were everything to me." Live Events The news of their passing has left Michahial "shattered." "Losing all three of them — Shwetha, Dhruv, and Harsha — in such a tragic way has left a pain I can't describe," he said. "I love Harsha for everything he created, for the wisdom he shared, and the lives he changed. But I cannot reconcile the way it all ended. It is devastating. It's impossible to understand how someone so spiritually grounded could reach such a point." Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories "And yet, this is the hard truth — sometimes the signs are hidden, sometimes silence is louder than words," Michahial said. The tragic news has cast a pall over the tech circles in both the US and India, leaving many to grapple with the sudden loss of an entrepreneur, his wife, and their young child. Kikkeri originally came from Kikkeri village in Karnataka. He completed his early education in Mysuru and later moved to the US, where he earned a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University. He worked at major tech firms, including Microsoft, where he focused on robotics and innovation. According to a description on his TEDx talk posted on YouTube, Kikkeri held 44 international patents across the US, China, Japan, and Europe. He was honoured with awards such as the Gold Star from Microsoft, an Excellence Award from Infosys , and a Bharat Petroleum Scholarship. He also won several chess championships.
The Hindu
30-04-2025
- The Hindu
Indian-origin family of three found dead after shooting at Washington home
Three Indian-origin people were found dead after a shooting at a home in the U.S. State of Washington, according to local media reports. The incident took place on April 24 in Newcastle city. The dead were identified as Harshavardhana Kikkeri, 44, Shwetha Panyam, 41, and Dhruva Kikkeri, 14, The Seattle Times newspaper reported on Tuesday (April 29, 2025). While the deaths of Shwetha and Dhruva were ruled as homicide by the police, Harshavardhana died by suicide, the report quoted the King County medical examiner's office as saying. Neighbours told the KOMO News that a young family lived in the home where the shooting took place. On the night of the shooting, authorities were called to the townhouse on 129th Street after receiving a 911 call. The KING 5 television station said its crew saw a child being escorted from the home and comforted by investigators. Owners of Holoworld Reports said Harshavardhana, alongside Shwetha, was the owner of an India-based AI tech company Holoworld. According to the company's website, it was founded in 2018 by the two, with Harshavardhana serving as the CEO and CTO, and Shwetha as president. King County sheriff's spokesperson Brandyn Hull said she could not comment on whether the case was believed to be a murder-suicide. "We understand many questions remain about the events that took place in Newcastle on April 24,' Hull was quoted as saying by Renton Reporter newspaper. 'An investigation such as this takes time, and our detectives are working diligently to try and piece together what led to this incident. Until this work concludes, the Sheriff's Office won't have any further updates.' No sign of the deaths' motive or relationships among the deceased was released by the sheriff's office, according to the report.
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Time of India
Bullet on street, blood on window: HoloWorld CEO Harshavardhana Kikkeri from Karnataka shoots family dead in US, then kills self
MYSURU: Mysuru-based entrepreneur Harshavardhana Kikkeri (45) allegedly shot and killed his wife, Shwetha (41), and their 14-year-old son at their home in Newcastle, near Washington, US, before dying by suicide on April 24. According to reports, the couple's younger son survived as he was not at home at the time of the incident. Police responded to a 911 call last week at a townhouse in King County, where they discovered blood on a window, a bullet in the street, and three bodies, according to King County Sheriff's spokesperson Brandyn Hull, as reported by The Seattle Times. A family friend in Mysuru confirmed the news and said Harshavardhana's mother, Girija, living in Mysuru has left for US. His elder brother, Chethan, who too was in the US, recently returned to Mysuru for good. Harshavardhana's father Kikkeri Narayana was a noted linguist and a progressive activist. A native of Kikkeri in KR Pet taluk of Mandya district, Harshavardhana founded HoloWorld, a robotic company, based out of Mysuru. When the company folded due to the Covid pandemic, the couple returned to the US. According to the family friend, Harshavardhana hasn't visited Mysuru since 2022. Law enforcement has not revealed the motive for the crime and declined to say whether it was a case of murder-suicide . However, according to The Seattle Times, the medical examiner's office ruled Shwetha and the boy's deaths as homicides, while Harshavardhana's death was classified as a suicide.
Hindustan Times
29-04-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Indian-origin tech CEO Harshavardhana Kikkeri, wife and 14-year-old son found dead at Newcastle home
A 57-year-old Indian-origin tech entrepreneur from Mysuru was found dead along with his wife and son in Washington's Newcastle last week, Deccan Herald reported. CEO of HoloWorld, a robotics company headquartered in Mysuru, Harshavardhana S Kikkeri was found dead along with his wife and co-founder Shwetha Panyam, 44, and their 14-year-old son, identified as Dhruva Kikkeri by Seattle Times. Police responded to a 911 call last week at a townhouse in King County where they found blood on a window and a bullet in the street along with three bodies, King County sheriff's spokesperson Brandyn Hull told Seattle Times. Police have not revealed the motive behind the crime and refused to comment on whether it was a case of murder-suicide. However, the medical examiner's office classified Shwetha and Dhruva's death as homicides and stated that Harshavardhana died by suicide, according to Seattle Times. Neighbours said the family of four kept to themselves and lived in the townhouse, with the couple's younger son 7, being the only survivor. Tech entrepreneur Harshavardhana Kikkeri hailed from Manya's Kikkeri village and studied in Mysuru and US, Deccan Herald reported. He held a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University and had worked with Microsoft, specialising in robotics. In 2017, he returned to India and co-founded HoloWorld with his wife Shwetha. The company ended operations in 2022, as per Indian Express, however, its social media accounts were last updated in November 2023. Kikkeri and his family went back to US in 2022. He made headlines for creating HoloSuit – an AI enabled full body motion capture suit which acts as a virtual trainer for your body. According to the description of a TedX talk by Kikkeri on YouTube, he won numerous leadership awards including Gold Star from Microsoft, Excellence Award from Infosys, Bharat Petroleum Scholarship and several chess tournaments. The video description also claimed that he held 44 international patents from the US, Europe, China, Japan among others.
