Kerala Court Convicts Teacher in Doctor's 2023 Murder

In Kollam, Kerala, an Additional Sessions Court on March 17 convicted G. Sandeep, a 42-year-old school teacher, of murdering Dr. Vandana Das, a 23-year-old house surgeon who was fatally stabbed while on duty at the Government Taluk Hospital in Kottarakkara on May 10, 2023. The court will announce the sentence on March 19.

The attack occurred in the early hours of that day, around 4 a.m., when police from the Pooyappally station brought Sandeep to the hospital for a routine medical examination. He had been taken into custody the previous night after his family reported his violent behavior at their home in Cherukarakonam near Kudavattur. Sandeep, who had sustained a minor leg injury during the incident, became aggressive without apparent provocation as Dr. Das dressed his wound. He grabbed a pair of surgical scissors from the dressing room and stabbed her multiple times, inflicting severe injuries to her abdomen and back. An autopsy later revealed 26 wounds on her body.

Dr. Das, the only daughter of Mohandas and Vasantha Kumari from Kaduthuruthy in Kottayam district, had recently completed her MBBS at Azeezia Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in Kollam. She was serving...