Lalchand Verma, Rakesh Kumar Punia, Dharmendra Kumar Sharma, Deepali Pathak
BACKGROUND The various patterns of homicidal deaths include assault by sharp weapon, blunt weapon, firearms, strangulation, homicidal hanging, smothering, drowning, burns, poisoning etc. The role of forensic expert is to help in the administration of justice. Detailed examination of wounds helps in prediction of the weapon used in the killing. The nature of the weapon used, and the gravity of the injury inflicted together play a decisive role in identifying the charges to be held against the said accused which further determine the punishment in each case. The present study was thus undertaken to find out the weapons used commonly in homicidal deaths in the study region. MATERIALS AND METHODS The present study was conducted at the Department of Forensic Medicine of a tertiary care center of the state over a period of three years. Informed consent from the relatives of the deceased was also kept as an inclusion criterion. Suspected deaths later disproved to be homicidal in manner as per police inquest and negative consent for participation in the study were the exclusion criteria. The weapon used in these killings were identified and other data collected to observe the pattern of use of different weapons in homicidal deaths in the study region. RESULTS In the present study, blunt weapons were the most common offenders used for homicidal killing especially employed in Land and property disputes. Sharp weapons and Firearms followed next in order. Burns were used least, and this study also reported homicidal killings by poisonings which is a rare finding and not reported earlier. Strangulation and burns were more common in female victims. Burning to death was used as a means for killing more commonly in fatalities of females associated with the demand of dowry. CONCLUSION Stricter enforcement of laws must be ensued on possession of dangerous weapons like sharp heavy cutting weapons/firearms and also to solve disputes related to land and properties to prevent these unwanted deaths hampering the active sections of the society.
