Suspected ex-boyfriend of Dr Preethi Reddy, Dr Harshwardhan Narde dies in deliberate car crash
Sydney, March 6: Sydney based dentist, Preethi Reddy was reported missing, after she failed to turn up home, late Sunday.
The 32-year-old spoke to her family on Sunday morning at about 11am and had told her family on the phone that she would head home after a late breakfast, but when she failed to return, relatives contacted police.
Preethi was attending a dental conference in St Leonards over the weekend. She was working in Penrith and had driven in her car to the conference on the north shore, on Friday.
After a public appeal for information, police found her body just before 9:30pm yesterday stuffed in a suitcase inside her grey Volkswagen Golf, which was parked in a Sydney laneway, on Strachan Lane in Kingsford, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
NSW Police said Preethi had been stabbed numerous times.
Residents of Strachan Street said that most of the street was blocked off by police, last night.
As the operation went on late into the night, police told them: “you’re safe, but it’s pretty awful”.
Created impromptu, Help Find Preethi Reedy Facebook page had earlier sought public help. It is understood that Preethi’s current boyfriend had posted desperate pleas, saying he was “super worried” about her safety.
Family and friends had expressed grave concerns and said that Preethi’s disappearance was out of character and there were “serious concerns for her welfare”.
It became such a concern for the family and her current boyfriend, who lives in Melbourne, that he flew down to find her.
Police had also disseminated images of both Preethi and her missing grey Volkswagen Golf in an effort to find her.
CCTV footage showed Preethi inside McDonald’s at the Strand Arcade, in the Sydney CBD, about 2.15am on Sunday wearing a dark-green, long-sleeved top, black pants, and black ballet flats.
It was just hours after the Sydney Mardi Gras parade finished when Preethi was last imaged lining up in the restaurant alone.
She bought two bottles of water and left the store, walking south towards Market Street.
She had not been heard from since speaking to her family later on Sunday morning.
Today morning, police confirmed that on Sunday, Preethi was staying at a hotel on Market Street in Sydney’s CBD, with a man known to her, now confirmed to be her ex-boyfriend.
Dr Harshwardhan Narde, a Tamworth based dentist has been named as Preethi’s ex-boyfriend.
Sources said that ex-boyfriend, Harshwardhan had been harassing Preethi.
It is believed that Preethi may have gone to Harshwardhan’s hotel to re-assert that their relationship was truly over.
Friends said that Preethi had broken up with Harshwardhan several years earlier and she was assertive that it was over. Police believe that Harshwardhan may not have accepted that and had attended the weekend conference, just to be able to re-connect with Preethi.
Police confirmed Harshwardhan had died following a car crash near Tamworth, just after speaking with detectives regarding Preethi’s disappearance on Sunday.
The fiery and fatal crash occurred not far from where Preethi’s body was found – about 340 kilometres away.
Police believe that he deliberately collided his BMW head-on with a semi-trailer on the New England Highway, north of Willow Tree, in the NSW Upper Hunter region, shortly after his interview with police.
The crash, which occurred on Monday night, about 10pm, is “believed to be a deliberate act,” police have revealed.
After the collision, the semi-trailer veered across the road and through a railing before bursting into flames and falling on its side.
49-year-old truck driver managed to eject himself before the truck was destroyed. He was treated at the scene.
Harshwardhan is now reportedly the prime suspect in the case.
But Harshwardhan’s brother, who is also a doctor based in India, has claimed that his sibling would not have carried out such a dastardly attack.
“We feel it’s too difficult to believe that this could be an act of a single person and reports indicate investigation circling only around Harshwardhan and none other,” Dr Narde told news.com.au.
“With due respect to investigating agencies and full respect to law of land we wish to humbly submit that there could still be some open (or) untraced threads (or) angles to probe (about the possible) involvement of any other person.”
Alok also believes Harsh would not have killed himself by ramming his BMW into a truck which police described as deliberate. He cites the facts that Harsh had spoken to a friend 20 minutes prior to the road accident telling him that he was on his way home at Tamworth. “Harsh had even stopped his car to take the call”.
“He was conscious enough to follow traffic sense and rules such as stopping his vehicle prior to taking a call,” he said.
Yesterday, Preethi’s current boyfriend went on to Facebook with a tribute to his dead girlfriend: “I’ll see you again one day … and we’ll continue where we left off my angel.”
A dentist for ten years, Preethi is described as having a specific interest in children’s dentistry and “highly professional yet friendly and approachable” on professional dentistry website.
Preethi worked at Glenbrook Dental Surgery in the Blue Mountains, about 70km west of Sydney.
This morning her colleagues posted on Facebook about her death.
“Glenbrook Dental Surgery staff are in mourning to hear the sad news about Preethi Reddy,” the post read.
Police are still investigating the circumstances surrounding her death and are asking anyone with information to come forward.
Preethi’s family members are helping them with details and all information. Police told media: “As a parent, the worst thing we can do is bury our kids… It’s a space none of us want to be.”
Vir Rajendra
Support is available for those who may be distressed by phoning Lifeline 13 11 14; Mensline 1300 789 978; Kids Helpline 1800 551 800; beyondblue 1300 224 636.