Kerala: Crime branch takes over doctor's murder probe

Thiruvananthapuram, May 12 (IANS) The Crime Branch of the Kerala police on Friday took over the probe into the murder of a woman doctor on duty at the state-run Kottarakara hospital even as police stood around.

Vandana Das (22) was stabbed multiple times by 42-year-old Sandeep, an alleged drug addict who was brought to the hospital by police after he suffered a fall and injured himself.

The incident occurred around 4 a.m on Thursday in the presence of police officials who were mere onlookers when Sandeep went around attacking people with a surgical knife in a fit of rage.

This act of the police came under huge attack from all quarters followed by mistakes in the First Information Report (FIR) filed by local police on the incident.

The Kerala government then handed over the probe to the Crime Branch wing this morning.

On Friday, even the state high court came down heavily on police over their inaction.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the incident, the high court pointed out that it is the fundamental duty of all police officers to guard citizens, even at the cost of their own lives.

"As far as the incident in question is concerned, there can be little doubt that the killing of a young doctor by a person who was in custody of the police - be that as an accused or in any other capacity - points at a systemic failure. The Police Officers above were also ad idem that it is the fundamental duty of any officer to guard a citizen, even at the cost of their own lives... This is a gruesome incident, which, as we have already said in our earlier order, should have never happened," the court said.

"We remind the State Police Chief, as we have already indicated above, that it is the fundamental obligation of the police force, headed by him, to ensure that hospitals and the personnel who man them are adequately and sufficiently protected on a day-to-day basis, for the 24 - hour time frame," it added.

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