The Kollam Additional Sessions Court, on Saturday, sentenced G Sandeep, who has been convicted of the murder of Dr Vandana Das, to life imprisonment.

  The court concluded the hearing on the quantum of sentence on Thursday. Additional Sessions Judge P N Vinod pronounced the sentence.

The court awarded life imprisonment for murder, 10 years for attempt to murder, 10 years for voluntarily causing grievous hurt, 6 years for causing hurt using dangerous weapons, 6 months for voluntarity causing hurt, 2 years for causing disappearance of evidence, 1 month for wrongful restraint, 3 months for voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant to deter them from their duty and 2 years for voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant to deter them from their duty using dangerous weapons.

Sandeep was also slapped with a fine of ₹1.65 lakh for various offences.

He would also serve 5 years under the Kerala Healthcare Service Persons and Healthcare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act. Life imprisonment will begin after serving the terms for other offences.

Special Public Prosecutor Prathap G Padikkal told the court that the murder of Vandana shall be treated as the rarest of rare cases and sought maximum punishment under the relevant provisions. The defence said that the convict has expressed remorse for his deed and has dependents to support.

The prosecution has prayed for a death sentence considering the heinous nature of the crime. The prosecution cited that a helpless doctor, while engaged in a noble duty of saving lives, was repeatedly stabbed to death by Sandeep, and such an act deserves no mercy. 

The court has noted that there were 26 wounds inflicted on Dr Vandana by Sandeep, and 23 were stab wounds. The court convicted Sandeep under eight sections of the IPC, including attempt to murder a police officer on duty, destruction of evidence, and obstruction of a public servant in discharge of duty on Tuesday.

He was also found guilty under relevant provisions of the Healthcare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act.

The judge observed that the accused is not entitled to protection under Section 84 of the IPC, which provides a legal defence for persons of unsound mind, and rejected the insanity plea raised by the defence.

The prosecution's case is that in the early hours of May 10, 2023, Sandeep, a resident of Cherukarakonam near Kudavattur, was brought to the hospital by the Pooyappally police for medical examination.

According to the prosecution, he suddenly turned violent, grabbed a pair of surgical scissors from the dressing room, and attacked hospital staff. Dr Vandana was stabbed multiple times during the incident.