Dr Vandana murder case: Kerala HC asks Police Chief to address concerns of grieving parents regarding probe

Kochi: In response to the plea for the transfer of the brutal murder case of Dr Vandana to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Kerala High Court has issued a directive asking the State's Police Chief to address the concerns raised by the grieving parents of the doctor regarding the ongoing investigation into the case. 

In a petition filed before the court on August 30, the family alleged that the police, "In a haste to wash their hands clean", had fabricated the First Information Statement given by the friend of the deceased.  

The petition also alleged that the friend had repeatedly stated that the facts were twisted but was turned by the police to suit their narratives. Moreover, they also stated that the involvement of certain police officials in the matter was not being properly investigated, and the chargesheet was filed in favour of the accused.

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While hearing the plea, the Single Judge Bench of Justice Kunhikrishnan expressed concern about transferring the probe after the Police investigation is completed.

"This is a case which affected the conscience of the society...In such a situation, according to me, the State Police Chief should summon the case diary in this case and hear the petitioners and redress the grievance of the petitioners and submit a report before this Court," the Court observed.

The case pertains to the brutal murder of Dr Vandana Das, a native of the Kaduthuruthy area of Kottayam district and the only child of her parents, who was a house surgeon at Azeezia Medical College Hospital and was working at the Kottarakkara taluk hospital as part of her training.

Sandeep, who was brought there by the police for medical treatment during the early hours of April 10, went on a sudden attacking spree using a pair of surgical scissors kept in the room where his leg injury was being dressed.

He had initially attacked the police officers and a private person who had accompanied him to the hospital and then turned on the young doctor who could not escape to safety.

She was stabbed several times and later succumbed to her injuries in a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram where she was rushed following the attack.

As per The Live Law, the petitioner in the plea stated that despite the deceased being the doctor herself and being surrounded by medical practitioners, she in the case did not receive immediate and adequate treatment. It has also been alleged before the court that the medico had first been taken to Vijaya Hospital where she remained without proper medical intervention for nearly an hour.

It was claimed that Dr Vandana was shifted to KIMS Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, at the behest of directions 'issued from the top', and the authority on whose direction actions were initiated remained a mystery.

It was alleged despite there being various other 'top­-notch' hospitals equipped with modern healthcare facilities nearby, she was not taken there.

The petitioners claimed that in an 'attempt to white-wash' the acts of the police officials involved, the ADGP had stated that Sandeep was a complainant and that he was brought to the hospital to dress his wounds. However, according to the petitioners, as per the hospital records, Sandeep was an accused who had been arrested by the Pooyappally Police on a complaint that he was quarrelling with his mother.

Further consideration of the matter will be held at a later date.

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