Kollam (Kerala) [India], March 21 : Kollam Additional District and Sessions Court on Saturday sentenced the accused G Sandeep to life imprisonment in the 2023 Dr Vandana Das murder case.
House surgeon Dr Vandana, at the age of 23, was fatally stabbed to death in the government hospital in May 2023 while on duty. The case had shaken the state and prompted the Left government in Kerala to bring in a policy for workplace safety in healthcare facilities.
Advocate Prathap G Padickal told reporters that the court did not find the case to pass the 'rarest of the rare' test for capital punishment.
The advocate said, "The trial court held that this case does not fall under the rarest of the rare category. So, we are recommending an appeal before the High Court. The prosecution argued for the maximum punishment that can be awarded to an accused."
Meanwhile, the victim's family also expressed dissatisfaction with the sentence. Dr Vandana's father, Mohan Das, said that they intend to challenge the verdict in the High Court.
"This type of case should be considered as a crucial one. We are not satisfied with the imprisonment of the accused, so we will proceed in the higher courts," Mohan Das said.
The incident had occurred when Sandeep, who was a school teacher, was brought to the government hospital by the police for a mandatory medical checkup following a brawl with his neighbours.
According to police, the incident took place at 4:30 am when S Sandeep stabbed the house surgeon, Dr Vandana Das, when she was dressing his wounds.
Having grabbed scissors from the dressing room, Sandeep, who was reportedly under treatment in a de-addiction centre, stabbed Dr Vandana six times, causing injuries to her abdomen and back.
He also attacked others and vandalised the hospital. A home guard and a sub-inspector also sustained stab injuries. Dr Vandana was shifted to KIMS hospital in Thiruvananthapuram, where she succumbed to her injuries, police said.
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