Homicide concealed strangulation after bobbing reins in sexually sadistic homicide.

This case of sexually motivated homicide combined the perpetrator's obliteration of his victim's identity along with his attempt at concealment of the corpse and sexual gratification following ligature strangulation of a young unidentified female from a minority Indian state. Sexual bondage was evident with characteristic body tying in a typical posture to fuel the killer's sexual arousal and gratification before, during and then after strangling his victim with a scarf. The victim's body was left in a sack packed with vegetables and transported from the crime site and found abandoned in a park.

Development and validation of an ESI-LC-MS/MS method for simultaneous identification and quantification of 24 analytes of forensic relevance in vitreous humour, whole blood and plasma.

Detection and quantification of drugs from various biological matrices are of immense importance in forensic toxicological analysis. Despite the various reported methods, development of a new method for the detection and quantification of drugs is still an active area of research. However, every method and biological matrix has its own limitation, which further encourage forensic toxicologists to develop new methods and to explore new matrices for the analysis of drugs. In this study, an electrospray ionization-liquid chromatograph-tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-LC-MS/MS) method is developed and validated for simultaneous identification and quantification of 24 drugs of forensic relevance in various body fluids, namely, whole blood, plasma and vitreous humour. The newly developed method has been validated for intra-day and inter-day accuracy, precision, selectivity and sensitivity. Absolute recovery shows a mean of 84.5, 86.2, and 103% in the vitreous humour, whole blood and plasma respectively, which is suitable for the screening procedure. Further, the absolute matrix effect (AME) shows a mean of 105, 96.5, and 109% in the vitreous humour, whole blood and plasma, respectively. In addition, to examine the practical utility of this method, it has been applied for screening of drugs in post-mortem samples of the vitreous humour, whole blood and plasma collected at autopsy from ten cadavers. Experimental results show that the newly developed method is well applicable for screening of analytes in all the three matrices.

Evaluation of blood, buccal swabs, and hair follicles for DNA profiling technique using STR markers.

AIM: To study the short tandem repeat (STR) pattern of DNA from the blood, buccal swabs, and hair follicles of the recipients of allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation to examine whether these tissues contain donor derived cells. METHODS: The study enrolled 25 patients who sustained engraftment. Peripheral blood, buccal swabs, and hair follicles were collected on days 21-30, 90, and 180 after transplantation and the chimeric status of the recipients was evaluated. RESULTS: Donor derived cells existed in the blood and buccal swabs, but not in hair follicles, which can be used to obtain the pre-transplant sample of the recipient after transplant. CONCLUSION: Peripheral blood and buccal swab do not serve as a reliable source of recipient's origin for DNA analysis of individuals who underwent allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation at least within 6 months after transplant.

Effect of acute exposure of triazophos on oxidative stress and histopathological alterations in liver, kidney and brain of Wistar rats.

Acute dose of organophosphorus pesticide Triazophos (O,O-diethyl O-1-phenyl-1H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl phosphorothioate; Tz) administered orally affects oxidative stress parameters and the histo-architecture of liver, kidney and brain tissues. The results indicate a dose dependent induction of oxidative stress as evident by increased malondialdehyde level and decreased antioxidant defense including glutathione and superoxide dismutase activity in rat liver, kidney and brain. AChE activity was found significantly decreased in the Tz treated groups as compared to the vehicle control (DMSO) group. Histopathological examination of liver, kidney and brain in Tz treated rats revealed medullary congestion and hydropic degeneration of hepatocytes in liver and medullary congestion in kidney. However, no significant histopathological changes were observed in brain tissues.

Acute oral toxicity and histopathological study of combination of endosulfan and cypermethrin in wistar rats.

BACKGROUND: Endosulfan, a neurotoxic organochlorine insecticide and cypermethrin, a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide used to control pests in domestic, industrial, and agricultural situations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study was carried out to investigate the acute oral toxicity, behavioral and histopathological changes of combination of endosulfan and cypermethrin in albino rats. According to Miller and Tainter analysis method, at 48 h, LD50 value of combination of endosulfan and cypermethrin (ratio 1:1) in rats was found to be 691.83 mg/kg bw by oral gavage. RESULTS: When combination of both these pesticides was administered orally at concentration of 103.72 mg/kg bw, 172.95 mg/kg bw and 207.50 mg/kg bw, respectively, as a single dose, no significant changes in behavior of rats was observed, neither in dosed nor in control group of rats. Combination of endosulfan- and cypermethrin-treated rats showed mild histopathological changes in liver and kidney in group IV (207.50 mg/kg BW) as compared to the control. However, no significant changes were observed in brain and small intestine at either dose of combination of endosulfan and cypermethrin with respect to control. CONCLUSION: Thus, the present study, first of its kind in India, demonstrated the oral toxicity, behavioral, and histo-architectual alterations after induction of combination of endosulfan and cypermethrin at acute doses in Wistar rats.

Accidental carbon monoxide poisoning during yagya for faith healing--a case report.

A 20-year-old female and a 45-year-old male were found lying dead on the floor with frothand vomitus stain present over mouth, nose and face in a closed room. An earthen bowl with incomplete burnt woods, flowers, food materials, agarbati, etc, was also found lying near the body of the two deceased. The cause of death, established by autopsy and toxicological examination was carbon monoxide poisoning in both victims. The source of carbon monoxide was incomplete burnt woods used for yagya during puja (a faith healing practice) for bearing children.

A psychological profile of a serial killer: a case report.

Serial killers have always fascinated society. A serial killer is typically defined as a perpetrator who murders three or more people over a period of time. Most reported cases of serial killers come from the United States and Canada. In India, there are few reported cases. We present, to the best of our knowledge, the first Indian case in the literature. The present case is of a 28-year-old man, Surinder Koli. The Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delphi handled the forensic study. We present a most unique psychological investigation into the mind of a serial killer.

Fatal accidental fall from height in infants and children: a study from South Delhi.

One hundred and seventy-four deaths of infants and children due to accidental fall from height received from South Delhi for autopsy were studied during the 10-year period from January 1998 to December 2007 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. Data were analysed with regard to age, sex, location of fall, height of fall, pattern of injury, cause of death and seasonal variation. These cases represented approximately 22.56% of all deaths due to a fall from height and 1.31% of all medicolegal autopsies conducted during the period. There were 106 male (60.9%) and 68 female (39.1%) victims. Age-specific rate of fall showed that the highest rate was in toddlers (39.65%), followed by 26.43% each in preschool children and school-going children and the least in infants (7.47%). The head and face was the most frequently injured body region (93.67%) and the skull was the commonest bone fractured (59.19%). The most common cause of death was head injury (84.48%). Major fall sites in decreasing order of frequency were rooftop (38.50%), balcony (24.13%), household furniture (21.26%), staircase (6.89%), window (4.59%), wall (1.72%), rickshaw/bicycle (1.15%) and tree (0.57%). Most fatalities due to a fall from height were reported in the rainy season.

Identity of victims from fragmented and decomposed remnants by DNA profiling in a case of serial killings.

A 28-year-old man, Surinder Koli, from a Nithari village adjoining Delhi, India committed serial murder. This case was of paramount importance in medico-legal investigations, as it was a landmark case of a serial killer reported from India. The skeletal remains (627 pieces) including skull/skull portions (19) were recovered from the nearby sewer drain, sump and the backyard of the house in which this man was residing. In addition, soft tissues (51) were also recovered from the same sewer drain. The victims were killed over a two-year period. The establishment of identity of the victims was crucial to prove the case in the court of law as well as for the claimants. Nineteen sets were prepared by radiology/anatomical examination from the exhibits recovered. DNA profiling confirmed the correctness of these sets and also short tandem repeat typing of nuclear DNA successfully identified eight individuals. Both DNA profiling and radiography/anatomical examination played an important role in solving this complicated case.

Suicide notes from India and the United States: a thematic comparison.

Suicide is a global concern, hence, cross-cultural research ought to be important; yet, there is a paucity of cross-cultural study in suicidology. This study sought to investigate suicide notes drawn from India and the United States, as these countries have similar suicide rates but markedly different cultures. A thematic or theoretical-conceptual analysis of 72 suicide notes drawn from these countries, matched for age and gender, was undertaken, based on Leenaars' (1996) multidimensional model of suicide. The results suggested that there were more commonalities than differences; yet, not consistent with previous cross-cultural studies of suicide notes, Indian notes expressed more indirect expression including veiled aggression, or aggression turned inward, and unconscious dynamics. It was concluded that the model may be applicable to suicide in both countries, but also much greater study in India is warranted on collectivism and dissembling as a suicide risk factor.

Factors affecting the development of hypothalamus and pituitary lesions in fatal closed head injury: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the factors affecting the development of pituitary and hypothalamic lesions after fatal closed head injury. MATERIALS: Thirty-four patients with severe closed head injury succumbing to the effects of brain trauma before or during admission, whether managed conservatively or surgically, formed the study group. Clinical parameters, injury to death interval, radiologic data, and management details were taken into consideration. Autopsy was performed within 48 hours of death; hypothalamus and pituitary were carefully removed and evaluated for the presence of lesions on hematoxylin and eosin and immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: Patients were categorized into early death group (n = 11, those succumbing before/on admission) and late death group (n = 23, those succumbing after admission). Histopathologic evaluation of pituitary revealed capsular hemorrhages in 50%, posterior pituitary hemorrhage in 25%, anterior pituitary infarct in 21.8%, and anterior pituitary hemorrhage in 6.2% patients. Hypothalamic hemorrhage was observed in 65.2% patients and infarcts in 17.3%. Lesions in hypothalamus and pituitary were significantly related to the presence of ventricular compression on computed tomography scan and survival of >24 hours after injury (p < 0.05). Capsular hemorrhage, anterior pituitary hemorrhage, and posterior pituitary hemorrhage were present in 40%, 10%, and 30% of the patients in the early death group when compared with 54.5%, 4.5%, and 22.7% of the patients in the late death group. Anterior pituitary infarcts were present in 10% of the patients with early deaths and 27.3% patients in the late death group. Hypothalamic hemorrhages were present in 44.4% of patients in early death and 78.6% in late death groups. Hypothalamic infarcts (40%) were present in the late death group only. Two patients (25%) in the early death group and 11 (84.6%) in the late death group had lesions in pituitary as well as hypothalamus (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Presence of ventricular compression on computed tomography scan and survival >24 hours after severe head injury has a significant correlation with the development of hypothalamic and pituitary lesions. Secondary insults account for a proportion of pituitary and hypothalamic lesions after trauma, which may be amenable to prevention by early intervention to treat raised intracranial pressure (ICP)/herniation.

Menstruation and suicide: a histopathological study.

BACKGROUND: Previous research, albeit limited, has reported mixed findings on the impact of menstruation cycle on suicidal behavior. The contribution of menstruation to completed suicide is also controversial; the studies are, in fact, very limited and are not carefully designed. AIMS: To examine whether the menstruation cycle impacts on suicide. METHODS: In order to explore this relationship, 56 autopsies on completed suicides in females were performed and matched to a control group of 44 females who had died from other causes, at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi. Histopathological examination, a method of collecting tissue from the uterus through biopsy, was used to determine the stage of the menstrual cycle. RESULTS: The results show that 25% of women who had died by suicide were menstruating at the time, compared to 4.5% of the control group; this is statistically (chi2) significant at the p < .002 level. CONCLUSIONS: Menstruation in the women who completed suicide, compared to a control group, appeared to have an association, though more research is warranted. Not only there are serious methodological problems in the study of menstruation and suicide (largely because of problematic tissue storage and examination), but also because of the need to understand the impact within a larger psychological, social, and cultural frame.

An unusual fatal construction site injury in India: a case report.

A 35-year-old male, employed at a construction site, accidentally injured himself when an iron rod, which he was handing up from the ground floor to a fellow worker standing on the first floor, fell backwards. It pierced his suprascapular fossa on the right side, damaging great vessels and the tricuspid valve, and entered the pericardial cavity after puncturing the posterior wall of the right ventricle. The iron rod was taken out by fellow workers at the site and the injured man was immediately taken to a nearby clinic where he was resuscitated and the wound was stitched. He was later transferred to a tertiary care hospital where he died about an hour after admission. Though many bizarre injuries have been reported at construction sites, a fatal injury of this nature deserves a mention in the forensic literature.

Assessment of endocrine abnormalities in severe traumatic brain injury: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: The frequency and pattern of endocrine abnormalities among patients with traumatic brain injury have been the subject matter of very few studies. This study was intended to assess the pattern of endocrine dysfunction following severe head injury. METHODS: Severe head injury patients admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, from January to December in 1 year formed the study group. Apart from clinical assessment, NCCT of the head was performed on all patients on admission. A complete anterior pituitary hormone analysis was performed within 24 h of injury and was repeated at 2 weeks, 3 months and 6 months amongst patients who survived. RESULTS: A total of 99 patients were included in the study. Forty of our patients succumbed in the hospital. Rest of the patients were followed up for 6 months. Elevations of cortisol followed by prolactin were the most common hormonal derangements at admission. Midline shift on CT scans was inversely related to cortisol elevation and directly related to GH elevation. Infarct on CT scans was inversely related to cortisol and LH elevation. A significant alteration was found in the decreasing trend of the mean T4 values and normalisation or a decreasing trend from initially elevated mean cortisol and GH levels during follow-up (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals that abnormalities in hormonal profiles appear to be relatively common in severe traumatic brain injury and fluctuate significantly over at least 6 months; there is a correlation with age and radiological findings. Performance of hormonal analysis evaluation should be considered in patients with severe brain injury so that appropriate hormonal replacement can be done to optimise the clinical outcome.

Patterns of injury seen in deaths from accidental falls down a staircase: a study from South Delhi.

The present study is a retrospective analysis of 92 cases of death from an accidental fall down a staircase, which were autopsied at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India, during a ten-year period from 1996 to 2005. The cases were analysed with regard to age, sex, location, cause of death and pattern of injury. Males (62, 67.39%) outnumbered females (30, 32.61%). The commonest age group involved was 31-40 years (28.26%) followed by 21-30 years (18.47%) and 51-60 years (14.13%). The lowest number of cases (4.34%) was in the 11-20 years age group. All deaths were accidental in nature. The most common cause of death was head injury (80.43%) followed by haemorrhagic shock resulting from intra-abdominal and intra-thoracic visceral injuries (9.78%) and injury to the neck (4.34%). The parietal and temporal bones were those most frequently fractured in head injury cases. Cerebral oedema (n = 56, 70.88%), followed by subdural haematoma (n = 34, 43.03%) were the two most common intra-cranial injuries. Two females were accidentally hanged while descending stairs. The majority of accidents happened at home (n = 90, 97.82%). Alcohol was detected in ten cases (17.54%). Fatalities from falls down a staircase were most often reported in the rainy season.

Deaths of homeless unclaimed persons in South Delhi (2001-2005): a retrospective review.

Homeless people are at increased risk of death for several reasons. We reviewed 735 cases of homeless, unclaimed persons found dead in public places in South Delhi who were brought for autopsy at the Department of Forensic Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, during the study period from 2001-2005. Most of the deceased were male (n = 645, 87.75%) with a M: F ratio of 7.17:1. The commonest age group involved was 31-40 years (n = 228, 31.02%). Most victims (n = 451, 61.36%) died from natural causes, followed by accidental deaths (n = 233, 31.70%) and homicides (n = 26, 3.54%). The majority of deaths were reported in the rainy season (n = 284, 38.64%). The deceased were mostly recovered from the road or road side (n = 352, 47.89%). Few studies on this subject have been published in India. More research is needed to identify the health-related problems of such people and possible contributory factors to mortality.

Appointed bullet--a premeditated murder followed by suicide: a case report.

A 21-year-old girl was fatally injured by her 25-year-old brother-in-law, who was deeply in love with her. She was shot in the abdomen with a locally-made pistol. The man then shot himself in the front of his head with the same gun. He died on the spot while the girl, who was seriously injured, died in hospital two days later. Police recovered two empty cartridges from the alleged site that had the names of the boy and girl written on them in blue ink. Although shooting is the most common method of homicide and subsequent suicide, to the authors' knowledge the case described here is unique and has not been reported elsewhere in the literature.

Rapid method for the determination of some organophosphorus insecticides in a small amount of serum in emergency and occupational toxicology cases.

A simple and rapid method is described for the estimation of some organophosphorus insecticides in the serum of occupationally exposed persons. The compounds are extracted with a mixture of acetone and diethyl ether (1:1 v/v) in acidic medium and the extraction residue is analyzed by gas chromatography with nitrogen phosphorus detection method. Linearity was acceptable over concentrations from 0.25 to 4.0 mug/mL. The method percentile recovery for the six different organophosphorus insecticides was 86.3% for phorate, 78.3% for dimethoate, 82.3% for malathion, 79.4% for chlorpyrifos, 80.2% for diazinon, and 68.5% for ethion at the mug/mL level. Serum samples of nine workers who had been occupationally exposed to malathion in an insecticide manufacturing factory, were analyzed and malathion was found at low levels in all the samples.

Postmortem examination in cases of custodial death in India.

Death in custody causes one of the most embarrassing situation for the law enforcement agencies and medicolegal experts. The doctors has to follow the guidelines given by National Human Rights Commission while conducting postmortem examination in such cases and many a times doctors have been blamed for giving a biased opinion under influence to protect the interests of police and jail officials. This paper discusses postmortem examination in cases of custodial deaths and incidence of custodial death in India as well as other parts of the world. The cases of custodial deaths for which autopsy was conducted at AIIMS has also been discussed.

Relatives' attitudes towards medico-legal investigation and forensic autopsy: a study from South Delhi.

Relatives of deceased persons on whose bodies a medico-legal autopsy had been performed at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India were personally asked to complete a questionnaire. The aim of study was to determine surviving family members' attitudes towards medico-legal investigation and forensic autopsy. The majority of the relatives showed a positive attitude towards forensic autopsy but were not aware of the detailed procedure of the autopsy. They wanted sufficient information to be provided before the autopsy. They showed a great interest in autopsy results i.e. the cause of death. It was concluded that sufficient relevant explanations given before the autopsy improves the relatives' acceptance and helps alleviate the suffering of the bereaved. The experience and opinions of relatives may help an autopsy surgeon in more effective management of medico-legal cases.