Court awards life imprisonment to Sandeep, accused in Dr Vandana Das murder case

KOLLAM: The court has awarded life imprisonment to Sandeep, the accused in Dr Vandana Das murder case. The Kollam Additional Sessions Court also slapped a fine of Rs one lakh on him. The court had earlier found Sandeep guilty in the murder that was committed on May 10 in 2023 at Kottarakkara Taluk Hospital. The quantum of sentence was pronounced by sessions judge P N Vinod.

The medical board had earlier submitted the report stating that Sandeep has no mental issues. Special Prosecutor Advocate Prathap G Padikkal appeared for the prosecution. The special prosecution produced 70 witnesses, 27 documents and 23 pieces of evidence to the court.

The heinous murder of Dr Vandana Das is the first time in the state that a doctor has been killed in a hospital. She was stabbed to death by Sandeep of Kudavattoor, who was an aided school teacher in Nedumbana, in an inebriated condition with surgical scissors. The incident happened at Kottarakkara Taluk Hospital on May 10, 2023 at 4.35 am. The cause of death was the deep wounds sustained on her chest and head. She was the only daughter of K G Mohandas and Vasantha Kumari of Muttuchira near Kaduthuruthy in Kottayam. She completed her MBBS from Azeezia Medical College in Kollam and was doing house surgency at the Taluk Hospital.

Sandeep called the Kollam Rural Police Control Room at 3 am on May 10 and said that he met with an accident and requested help. When the police arrived, he was standing in his neighbor's land with an injured leg. Sandeep was taken to the hospital along with his neighbors. The duty doctor directed to dress the wound. Dr Vandana, who went to the dressing room with Sandeep along with the OP ticket, later went to the observation room. Meanwhile, Sandeep turned violent and attacked those who came with him and then rushed to the observation room.

He stabbed Dr Vandana 27 times with the scissors taken from the dressing room. His wife had also given a statement against the accused. Sandeep used to create problems after drunk and so she had left him. His main argument was that he was mentally ill. This argument was refuted when the mental health expert team examined the accused as per the order of the Supreme Court. Sandeep was later terminated from service.