Dr Vandana Das murder: Kerala court awards life term to convict; kin to seek death penalty

KOLLAM: Nearly three years after the murder of a young house surgeon inside a govt hospital sent shock waves across the state, a Kollam court on Saturday sentenced the accused, Sandeep G, to life imprisonment. The family of the victim, Dr Vandana Das, expressed dissatisfaction with the verdict and said they would challenge it, while the Indian Medical Association urged the state govt to file an appeal to ensure maximum punishment.

The additional district and sessions court-I, Kollam, found Sandeep guilty of murdering Dr Vandana, who was on duty at Kottarakkara taluk hospital, on May 10, 2023.

Sandeep was convicted under IPC Sections 302, 307, 326, 324, 323, 201, 332, 333 and 341, along with provisions of the Kerala Healthcare Service Persons Act, but acquitted of charges under Sections 506(ii) and 353.

For murder under Section 302 IPC, the court awarded life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1 lakh. He was also sentenced to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 50,000 under Section 307 IPC, and 10 years with a Rs 25,000 fine under Section 326 IPC. Additional sentences include six months each under Section 324 IPC, three months under Section 323 IPC, two years under Section 333 IPC and three months each under Section 332 IPC. He was further sentenced to one month under Section 341 IPC, two years with a Rs 10,000 fine under Section 201 IPC and five years with a Rs 50,000 fine under the Kerala Healthcare Service Persons Act.

The court directed that most sentences would run consecutively, with some running concurrently and that the fines be paid as compensation to the victim's family and the injured.

The incident occurred early on May 10, 2023, when Sandeep, a schoolteacher, was brought to the taluk hospital by police for treatment of a leg injury. He had earlier called the emergency number 112, claiming his life was in danger. When police reached a spot near his house, he was found with a wound on his leg after an alleged quarrel and was taken to the hospital for dressing. While undergoing treatment, he suddenly went on an attacking spree using surgical scissors kept in the procedure room. He first attacked police personnel and a private individual who had accompanied him, before turning on hospital staff.

Dr Vandana, who was on duty in the casualty ward, was repeatedly stabbed. She was rushed to a private hospital and later shifted to Thiruvananthapuram, where she succumbed to her injuries. Vandana, a Kottayam native, was the only child of her parents. She was a student of Azeezia Medical College Hospital and was posted at the taluk hospital for internship.

During the trial, the defence argued that the accused was mentally unsound and sought protection under Section 84 IPC. However, the court rejected the insanity plea.

Reacting to the verdict, Vandana's mother, Vasanthakumari, said the family was not satisfied. "We will continue the legal battle until her killer is awarded the death penalty... I want him to suffer the same pain my daughter went through as he stabbed her 27 times," she said. Her father, Mohan Das, said the judgment offered only temporary relief. "We were expecting capital punishment. We will move high court seeking enhancement of the sentence after discussions with the public prosecutor," he said.