KOLLAM: A mere 23-year-old woman, Dr Vandana Das, had just started her career in medicine. A promising young doctor, Vandana was a ray of hope for her parents K G Mohandas and T Vasantha Kumari. All of that changed on May 10, 2023, when she was stabbed to death by an intoxicated man, while on duty.
The couple is currently awaiting the Kollam Additional Sessions Court’s verdict, scheduled to be heard on March 17.
Around 1 am on May 10, 2023, the police emergency cell number 112 received a call requesting help from the accused Sandeep S, a 42-year-old school teacher, alleging that he was attacked by a gang. Around 3 am, police located him near his house in Pooyapally and found him with visible injuries. He was brought to the casualty wing allegedly in an inebriated condition.
When the medical staff was attending him, he turned violent and attacked them, including Vandana, who was stabbed 11 times with a pair of scissors. She was first taken to a private hospital in Kottarakara and later to Thiruvananthapuram where she breathed her last.
The 1,000-page chargesheet document included the statements of 136 witnesses, CCTV footage and scientific evidence. In the postmortem report it was found that the cause of death was multiple stabs that caused damage to the internal organs.
Though the defence initially tried to prove he was mentally ill, his medical evaluation contradicted the claim. Moreover, the investigation revealed previous cases of alcohol-related domestic issues. Another significant blow to the defense was the statement Sandeep’s wife had given against him.
Subsequently, the judicial first class magistrate granted custody of the accused to the crime wing of the police.
Additionally, the police department conducted an oral inquiry against two officers, Baby Mohan and Manilal, who were accused of fleeing the spot. A probe by the Kollam rural district police chief found them guilty of dereliction of duty.
The government had declared a grant of Rs 25 lakh to Vandana’s parents from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund.