Overview
- An Additional District and Sessions Court in Kollam sentenced schoolteacher G Sandeep to life imprisonment, ordering he serve 30 years for other offences before the life term begins and imposing fines.
- The court convicted him under multiple IPC provisions and Kerala’s hospital-protection law, rejecting an insanity defence after psychiatric evaluations and witness testimony established criminal responsibility.
- The judge said the case did not meet the ‘rarest of rare’ threshold for capital punishment, with the detailed written order expected to set out the structured, consecutive terms.
- Prosecutors said they will seek sentence enhancement to death on appeal, while the victim’s parents expressed relief mixed with dissatisfaction and signalled plans to pursue further legal steps.
- The Indian Medical Association called the outcome disappointing and urged an appeal and stronger safeguards, as KGMOA pressed for measures such as declaring hospitals protected zones, better security, CCTV upgrades, triage systems and police aid posts.