Dr Vandana's family approaches High Court, seeks CBI probe into murder case

Kochi: The family of Dr Vandana Das, who was brutally killed by a drug-addicted patient at a taluk hospital in Kollam district, has filed a petition in the Kerala High Court, urging the transfer of the case to the CBI. The family alleged that the police hastily fabricated the First Information Statement (FIR) in an attempt to absolve themselves from any responsibility.

According to the plea filed on Friday, the family claimed, "The Kottarakkara police, in a haste to wash their hands clean, had fabricated the First Information Statement allegedly given by the friend of the deceased which was obtained intercepting him midway to the hospital, while taking the deceased for treatment." The petition further alleged that the facts provided by the friend were twisted and manipulated by the police to fit their own narrative, and despite the friend's repeated statements regarding the distortion of facts, the police authorities have remained defiant.

Her family also said that the police, in order to conceal their security lapses, have been conducting a lackadaisical and apathetic investigation into the crime. The petitioners, who lost their only daughter, expressed their demand for a CBI investigation into the matter. "Instead of giving the opportunity to the police to hush up the matter and destroy valuable evidence, the case has to be immediately handed over to the CBI," the plea demanded.

On May 23, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan signed an ordinance that imposes severe 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 healthcare professionals in the state. The ordinance was approved in response to the killing of Dr Vandana Das by a patient named G Sandeep, a school teacher, at a taluk hospital in the Kollam district.

Dr Vandana Das, a house surgeon at Azeezia Medical College Hospital, was undertaking training at the Kottarakkara taluk hospital at the time of the incident. On April 10, 2023, Sandeep was brought to the hospital by the police for medical treatment. He launched an unexpected attack using a pair of surgical scissors. He initially targeted the police officers and a companion, before turning on Dr Vandana Das, who was unable to escape. She sustained multiple stab wounds and succumbed to her injuries at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram, where she had been rushed for treatment.