‘Sandeep went on a stabbing spree’: Staff at Kerala hospital where Dr Vandana was killed

For the staff at the Kottarakkara taluk hospital in Kerala’s Kollam district, it was a few minutes of absolute terror. One young doctor was murdered, three police officials and many hospital staff were injured in a gruesome attack by a 42-year-old man who was in police custody and was brought to the hospital for treatment of his wounds. “It was around 4.30 am. While he was on the bed as I was doing the dressing, he wasn't physically violent, but he kept speaking in an aggressive manner,” said a hospital nurse who was on duty. 

Recalling the horrific incident, the nurse said that once she was done with the dressing, the man, who has been identified as Sandeep, a school teacher from Kollam, got out of the room where he was being treated and began attacking people with surgical scissors. 

“First he began to attack the police officials who were on guard. He stabbed three of them and then he entered the next room where Dr Vandana Das was attending to patients and attacked her. He stabbed her thrice, on her head, neck and spine,” said the nurse. She said that when Vandana, the doctor but he chased her until she collapsed in a room. Another doctor and the nurse too rushed into the room and were terrified as Sandeep stared at them. They were scared they would be his next target. Sandeep however left the room and sat on a chair outside.

One of the other witnesses told the media that when he rushed in hearing the noise, he saw Sandeep assaulting a policeman. Then he moved on to the home guard and stabbed him at least four times. “Then the Sub-Inspector came running and he was also stabbed once. The SI escaped Sandeep’s clutches. The policeman from the police aid post came running, his head was slammed on the wall many times.”

Though some of the alert staff members locked the rest of the staff in a room, they did not see Dr Vandana who was in one of the rooms. Sandeep then charged into that room where Dr Vandana was one of the house surgeons looking after two patients, and stabbed her multiple times. 

Vandana was a student at Azeezia Medical College and was appointed in the taluk hospital for her house surgeoncy training. 

Sandeep, a school teacher from Pooyappally in Kollam was reportedly undergoing de-addiction therapy for drug use. He was also suspended from his job and had a case registered against him for drug use. He was brought to the hospital after he sustained injuries to his legs during a ruckus he created in his house.