The chief examination of eight witnesses in the case pertaining to the murder of Dr Vandana Das has been completed. The witness examination began on February 12 at the Additional District Sessions Court - 1, Kollam, before judge P N Vinod. Dr Vandana Das, a house surgeon at Kottarakara taluk hospital, was stabbed to death by the accused, Sandeep, on May 10, 2023, when he was brought by the police for treatment. The murder of a doctor in the line of duty had sparked widespread outrage among the medical community.

During the chief examination, prosecution witness 1 (PW1), Dr Mohammad Shibin, told the court that he had seen the accused, Sandeep, inflicting fatal stab wounds to the head and neck of Vandana. He also identified the accused, the weapon he had used to stab Vandana and the dress she had worn. Special prosecutor Prathap G Padickal specifically asked him if he saw the incident, to which he categorically stated that he saw the entire incident and narrated the event in detail.

The second witness, Binu, a neighbour of Sandeep and a social worker, was one among the civilians who had accompanied Sandeep to the hospital. Sandeep was taken to the government taluk hospital, Kottarakara, from Kudavattur by Pooyappally police. Binu was also attacked by Sandeep using surgical scissors taken from the procedure room of the hospital.  

The witnesses 3 and 4 are cops. One is a home guard named Alex Kutty who also sustained injuries in the attack. Manilal, an Assistant sub-inspector at Kottarakara police station was on duty at the hospital aid post. Hearing the screams from the casualty, he rushed to the scene and was attacked by Sandeep with scissors. He was severely injured on his head. The ambulance driver is witness 5. He told the court that he intervened upon seeing Sandeep attack the cops. He shifted other women staff to safety and told the court that he saw the accused stab Vandana and he grabbed him from his back. Three women staff of the hospital (witnesses 6,7 &8) also testified that they saw the accused attack Vandana and other staff in the hospital.

The prosecution will examine a total of 136 witnesses, of which 50 will be examined in the first phase. A petition has been filed in the court to examine the forensic expert who analysed the CCTV footage of the incident.