Crime Branch files charge sheet in Kerala court in doctor murder case

Kollam (Kerala), Aug 1 (PTI) The Crime Branch wing of Kerala police on Tuesday filed a charge sheet in a court here against the man accused of stabbing to death a 23-year-old doctor at a taluk hospital in nearby Kottarakkara in May.

Accused G Sandeep, a school teacher, had brutally attacked and killed Dr Vandana Das when was taken to the hospital by the police for medical treatment.

The charge sheet was filed by the agency in the court of Judicial First Class Magistrate-I Rajesh C B against Sandeep, Additional Public Prosecutor Shyla Mathai said. “The court will now verify the charge sheet,” she said.

The Crime Branch was investigating the brutal killing of Dr Das by Sandeep.

Dr Das, a native of Kaduthuruthy area of Kottayam district and the only child of her parents, was a house surgeon at Azeezia Medical College Hospital and was working at the Kottarakkara taluk hospital as part of her training.

Sandeep, who was brought there by the police for medical treatment in the early hours of May 10, went on an attacking spree suddenly using a pair of surgical scissors kept in the room where his leg injury was being dressed.

He initially attacked the police officials and another person who had accompanied him to the hospital and then turned on the young doctor who could not escape to safety.

She was stabbed 11 times and later succumbed to her injuries at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram where she was rushed following the attack.

In the wake of the attack, protests erupted in various hospitals across the state, with healthcare professionals, medical interns, students and house surgeons taking to the streets and observing a strike for two days.

Even the Kerala High Court took up the issue and slammed the state government and the police for failing to protect the doctor.

The High Court termed the killing an outcome of “systemic failure” and directed the police to come out with fresh protocols for ensuring safety of those working in the healthcare and health science education fields.

Subsequently, the state government approved an ordinance that provides for stringent punishment, including imprisonment of up to seven years and a maximum fine of Rs 5 lakh for those found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm to doctors, medical students, and others working in the health services sector in the state.

The ordinance received the approval of Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on May 23.