Indian Tech Entrepreneur Dies By Suicide After Killing Wife, Son In US
One of their sons escaped the tragedy as he was away from home when the incident occurred.
An Indian tech entrepreneur allegedly shot dead his wife and one of his sons at their home in the United States last week, before taking his own life, said the police.
According to the police, the deceased has been identified as Harshavardhana S Kikkeri (57), his wife, Shwetha Panyam (44), and their 14-year-old son.
The incident, which was reported from Newcastle in Washington, took place on April 24.
One of their sons escaped the tragedy as he was away from home when the incident occurred.
News broadcasters at the scene saw investigators escorting a child from the home and providing comfort. 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 into the matter is underway, said the police.
According to multiple media reports, which quoted neighbours, the family was described 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.
The entrepreneur, at the peak of his success, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to propose utilising robots for border security purposes.
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.
The man, an expert in robotics, had also worked for Microsoft in the US.
Suicide Prevention. News 18. If you or someone you know needs help, call any of these helplines: Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata)
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First Published:
April 29, 2025, 21:46 IST
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