Kollam

A court in Kerala on Tuesday found a man guilty in the shocking murder of Dr Vandana Das at a taluk hospital in May 2023.

The verdict was delivered by the Kollam Additional District and Sessions Court, public prosecutor Sicin G Mundakkal said. The court is scheduled to announce the sentence on March 19.

The accused, G. Sandeep, had been taken to the hospital by police in the early hours of May 10, 2023, for treatment of a leg injury. During the procedure, he suddenly turned violent and attacked those present using a pair of surgical scissors kept in the room.

Initially, he assaulted police personnel and a civilian who had accompanied him, before attacking Dr Das, who was unable to escape. She suffered multiple stab wounds and later died at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram, where she had been shifted for advanced treatment.

Dr Das, a native of Kaduthuruthy in Kottayam district, was the only child of her parents. She was a house surgeon at Azeezia Medical College Hospital and was undergoing training at the Kottarakkara taluk hospital at the time of the incident.

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According to reports, Sandeep, a school teacher, had earlier called the emergency helpline 112, claiming his life was under threat. When police reached the spot, they found him near his residence with a leg injury, allegedly sustained during a dispute, and later took him to the hospital for treatment.