Teacher who stabbed doctor 27 times awarded life term by Keralam court

A Keralam court on Saturday sentenced a 42-year-old school teacher to life imprisonment for the brutal killing of a young doctor at a government hospital in 2023, in a case that had sparked widespread outrage across the state.

G Sandeep was found guilty of murdering Dr Vandana Das at Kottarakkara Taluk Hospital in May 2023. In addition to the life sentence for murder, the court awarded a cumulative 30-year sentence for other offences under the Indian Penal Code to be served prior to the life term, according to the prosecution.

Dr Das, a 23-year-old house surgeon and the only child of her parents from Kottayam, was attacked with surgical scissors 27 times on May 10, 2023, after the accused was brought to the hospital by police for treatment of a leg injury. He allegedly assaulted police personnel and others before fatally stabbing the doctor with surgical scissors. She later succumbed to her injuries at a hospital in Thiruvananthapuram.

The court, which convicted Sandeep earlier this week, held him guilty under multiple provisions, including murder, destruction of evidence and wrongful restraint, as well as under the Kerala Healthcare Service Persons and Healthcare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act, 2012. It rejected the defence’s plea of schizophrenia, ruling that the accused was mentally fit and had acted with premeditation.

As per reports, during the trial, more than 70 witnesses were examined, and over 200 documents, including medical and forensic reports, were reviewed. Psychiatric assessments presented in court affirmed that the accused was aware of his actions at the time of the crime.

Reacting to the verdict, the victim’s family expressed relief but indicated dissatisfaction with the sentence, stating their intention to seek capital punishment. 

The prosecution has also signalled it will recommend an appeal, describing the case as falling within the “rarest of rare” category.