Study of deaths in industrial areas around Aurangabad city.

We retrospectively studied the death cases brought for medico-legal post-mortem examination at mortuary, Government Medical College, Aurangabad in last one year i.e. 2010. All the cases from these areas (Police station MIDC Waluj, MIDC Cidco, MIDC Chikhalthana, and MIDC Paithan, etc.) were included in the study and the results are analyzed. Deaths from industrial areas accounted for 6.85% of total autopsies. It is observed that the most common cause of death in industrial area is road traffic accident probably due to higher frequency of transportation. Males outnumbered the females and they suffered injuries most in their fourth decade of life. Maximum incidences occurred in the month of October, that too on Friday between times 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Maximum cases were accidental in manner and brought dead to Government Medical College, Aurangabad. The most common cause of death was vehicular accidents involving head. This is the first time such a study has been carried out locally. The proportion of accidental deaths in industrial areas relative to that of non industrial area may be attributed to the poor enforcement of safety measures in these areas.

Electrocution method to conceal homicide A rare case report.

Killing of a human being is one of the most serious or major crimes. Assailants are very keen to conceal crime by different methods, so there may be wrong interpretation by inexperienced autopsy surgeons and hence it may lead to injustice. So it is important that our keen observation and opinion should be conclusive for the administration of justice. In this paper we are presenting a rare case which was brought by police as a case of electrocution. After meticulous autopsy and crime scene visit, the case turned to be of homicidal manner. The cause of death was manual strangulation with head injury and electrical injuries were post-mortem in nature. The deceased was under the influence of alcohol. The necessary investigations like histo-pathological examination also ruled out ante-mortem nature of electric injury. The present paper highlights the importance of meticulous autopsy and crime scene visit for determination of cause and manner of death.

Accidental ligature strangulation with avulsion of scalp.

With its relatively small diameter, lack of bony shielding and close association of the airway, spinal cord and major vessels, the human neck is uniquely vulnerable to life threatening injuries. Strangulation is a constriction of the neck by a ligature without suspension of the body, the constricting force being applied directly to the ligature. In this paper, we present case of a 25 years old woman who was accidentally strangled when her one end of saree was entrapped in moving crop thresher during separating grains from dry crops in the field. She was immediately brought to the hospital where she was declared dead. Complete and meticulous autopsy was done and cause of death given as accidental ligature strangulation. This phenomenon is unusual and highlights the hazards of working with such conditions leading to such unfortunate machinery incidences and safety measures to be taken while working with such machines.