Infant death resulting from sharing a cot with a 10-year-old boy

An infant may die from unintentional suffocation if their exhausted, or inebriated or sedated mothers fall asleep while breast feeding or just sharing a bed and roll over on to them. The mother wakes up to find the baby dead in the morning. Diagnosis is complex due to minuscule autopsy findings and denial by parents about overlaying although it was accidental. Unusually, in this case, the baby was "over layed" by a young male child from the same family. The female baby was found listless next morning by her mother and died after three months of treatment. Death circumstances, non-sudden outcome, and unusual circumstances of overlaying the baby.

Murderer who spread table salt over his victim's corpse unintentionally preserved it from putrefaction

Adipocere is medico-legally exigent post-mortem change alternative to putrefaction. Sprinkling table salt over corpse to hasten disintegration and keep carnivores and nibblers off is a feature of ritualistic burial. We describe an unusual murder concealment wherein assailant put quantum of table salt over and around dead body while burying in jungle to hasten disintegration. Unexpected adipocere involving table salt preserved the body and firearm injuries. A mystifying thanatological aspect was the basic fact of table salt osmotically drawing even intrinsic body water needed for adipocere in non-damp conditions. It exceptionally formed in a week, and in a shallow grave, its formation in such conditions being very unusual and unreported.

Fatal monocrotophos poisoning by cutaneous absorption while sleeping: A remarkable case study

Organophosphate poisoning is a continued menace associated with high morbidity and mortality in both resource-crunched developing and developed countries. Cases have been described of deliberate self-poisoning which has higher mortality than accidental exposure. Fatal poisoning by accidental dermal absorption is rarely reported for monocrotophos. Authors detail fatal accidental monocrotophos poisoning in adult female by dermal exposure while sleeping. Pesticide was detected in post-mortem blood and skin by chromatography and spectroscopy. Extraction along with review of literature for monocrotophos poisoning is adjuncted in this study.

Access to Round Window Niche via Posterior Tympanotomy and Impact of Drilling Its Overhangs: A Cadaveric Descriptive Study

We intended to study the morphological parameters of round window region and assess the gain in exposure achieved by drilling the round window niche overhang. The Exposure of the round window membrane (RWM) is of prime importance to carry out atraumatic electrode insertion for cochlear implantation. The anatomy of round window has been a subject of considerable debate in literature. Fifty-one Formalin preserved adult cadaveric temporal bones were micro-dissected to carry out an 'optimal' posterior tympanotomy to expose the round window region. The bony overhangs of round window niche (RWN) were next drilled to achieve maximal possible exposure the RWM without violating the annulus of the same. The exposure was classified as per St Thomas' Hospital classification. The round window could not be visualized in 3 bones (5.9%). The commonest morphology of RWN was dome shaped, found in 18 (37.5%) and that of the RWM was oval shaped, found in 14 (29.2%) bones. Pre drilling 41 bones had a > 50% exposure of RWM while post drilling > 50% exposure could be achieved in all the bones except the 3 bones in which RWN could not be visualized to begin with. The drilling of the RWN overhangs exposed RWM in entirety in 91.7% of bones with a visible morphology of RWN pre drilling. RWN and RWM exhibit varied morphology. Drilling of the round window niche overhangs can considerably enhance the exposure of RWM.

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.

Homicidal methanol poisoning in filicide-suicide

Most methanol poisonings are accidental. We present a rare case of filicide-suicide, where a youth was killed by methanol poisoning and his parents then committed suicide by jumping in front of a running train. The father's suicide note explains the crime.

Rare gripping object in electrocution: Cadaveric spasm at its best

Cadaveric spasm causes instantaneous rigor without preceding post-mortem flaccidity. The precise pathophysiological basis of this phenomenon is still unknown. We report a case of accidental electrocution where the deceased was found dead with a metallic water supply pipe of a motor booster pump firmly gripped in his hand. In this report, we review the literature and consider the mechanisms that may cause this phenomenon.

Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding in Aluminium Phosphide Poisoning

Aluminium phosphide is one of the most common poisons used for suicide in an agricultural country like India. Death is usually due to myocarditis which occurs within few hours of ingestion. There are many late complications reported in medical literature, however toxic effects on the gastrointestinal system, particularly corrosive action leading to massive haemorrhage is rarely reported. A 30 year old male developed upper gastrointestinal bleeding on the second day after consumption of aluminium phosphide. An exploratory laprotomy was done followed by adhesinolysis, gastrostomy closure with feeding jejunostomy and drainage. He died after eight days of ingestion. The autopsy findings of this rarely reported case along with review of literature on corrosive action of Aluminium Phosphide is discussed.

Fatal ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in an anonymous egg donor

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome is a rare, but potentially life-threatening iatrogenic disorder arising from ovulation induction or ovarian hyperstimulation for assisted reproduction techniques. We report a case of a 26-year-old multiparous woman, an anonymous egg donor, who died a few hours after undergoing a procedure to donate eggs at an in vitro fertilization clinic. Her husband alleged that medical negligence had led to her death. The autopsy confirmed death due to ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. We know of no previous descriptions of fatal ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in an anonymous egg donor in medico-legal literature.

Ingestion of safety razor blade and delayed hanging in a complex suicide

Ingestion of a foreign body is mostly accidental in children and intentional in prisoners to achieve hospitalization; however, use of this method of suicide is rare. We report a case where the victim first ingested a safety razor blade, but failed to die and then hanged himself, but failed again and finally succumbed to the complications on the sixth day. He had also attempted suicide by inflicting multiple incised wounds on his neck four days before the safety blade ingestion, but none were fatal.

Suicidal asphyxiation by carbon monoxide within a polythene bag

Suicide by inhalation of carbon monoxide is not uncommon and usually involves car exhausts or burning charcoal or defective boilers. We report a case of a 25-year-old man, who committed suicide by inhaling carbon monoxide gas inside a polythene bag in a bathroom. The open carbon monoxide cylinder found inside the polythene bag was purchased online by the deceased a few days earlier. He had stated that the gas would be used for his experiment on the environment. A suicide note recovered from his trouser pocket revealed his intention for a painless death.

Cardiac rupture delayed for a week in an asymptomatic child following blunt trauma

A two-year-old child was hit by a car outside his home and was immediately taken to hospital. There were no external injuries present over the body except two small abrasions on the occipital region of head. A computed tomography scan of the head was performed which revealed no cranio-cerebral injury. He was discharged from the hospital within few hours apparently well. The child was absolutely asymptomatic for a week, after which he suddenly died while playing at home. Autopsy revealed left ventricular free wall rupture and pericardial haematoma. This case report discusses the rare incidence of delayed cardiac rupture due to blunt trauma resulting in haemorrhagic tamponade in an asymptomatic child.

Medico-legal autopsy of abandoned foetuses and newborns in India

Foeticide and the abandonment of newborns are important, albeit frequently neglected, issues. Concealment of childbirth is often seen in the setting of unwanted pregnancy which has been recognised as one of the most important factors in both cases. This study highlights the medico-legal autopsy findings of 238 abandoned foetuses and newborns over a period of 17 years (1996-2012) from the region of South Delhi, India. There was no sex predilection. The majority of the cases were full term. Nearly 35% of the foetuses were still born, about 29% were live born and the remainder were non-viable. Among the live born, death by homicide was more common than a natural death and most were left by the roadside. The abandoning and killing of newborns needs urgent attention, and strict measures are needed to save thousands of innocent lives.

Sulphuric acid marketed in water bottle in India: A cause for fatal accidental poisoning in an adult

Corrosive acid ingestion is a rare but serious health hazard with fatal complications. Cases of suicidal and accidental acid ingestion have been documented in the scientific literature. Accidental acid poisoning due to a mistaken identity of the bottle containing sulphuric acid is a matter of grave concern especially in a household set-up. We hereby report a fatal case of accidental sulphuric acid ingestion in an adult, who unsuspectingly swallowed about 50 ml of 'toilet-cleaner' at his residence. The bottle containing the acid was recently purchased from a local vendor and placed with water bottles in the kitchen. The autopsy and toxicological findings of this case are discussed in this paper with discussion of medico-legal issues on the sale and use of such corrosive acids in illegal bottles and its subsequent health hazards in India.

Suicide notes and cadaveric organ donation

A suicide note is an important tool for medico-legal investigation on the manner and circumstances surrounding the death. It can also act as a facilitator for organ donation when the victim expresses their wish to do so. This article cites four examples, where the victims had specifically mentioned a "last wish" to donate their organs. The importance of such "expressed consent" in suicide notes is discussed. Such observations are not found in available scientific literature and are of importance in countries where there is a long waiting list for organ recipients and a very large number of suicidal deaths.

Suicide by injecting lispro insulin with an intravenous cannula

Suicide by injecting insulin is not uncommon both in diabetic and non-diabetic people. The victim usually uses an insulin syringe or a traditional syringe attached to a needle for the injection of insulin, of either animal or synthetic origin. We report a case of suicide by a non-diabetic physician by injecting lispro insulin through an intravenous cannula. To the best of our knowledge, the use of an intravenous cannula for the injection of insulin for suicide is unusual and is rarely reported in the medico-legal literature.

Triple hanging in filicide-suicide: an unusual case report

Filicide-suicide is a special category of homicide-suicide event where the victim(s) are children and the perpetrator is one of the parents or both. It is not extensively documented or adequately defined in literature. In developed countries, shooting is a common method of homicide and suicide. Uses of knives, blunt objects, strangulation, poisoning and drowning are other methods frequently employed by the perpetrator. Homicide by hanging in filicide-suicide is rarely reported in forensic literature. We present a rare case of filicide-suicide, where the mother killed both her children by hanging them one by one from a ceiling fan in the same room and later committed suicide by hanging in another room.

Medico-legal autopsy of 1355 unclaimed dead bodies brought to a tertiary care hospital in Delhi, India (2006-2012)

In India, it is estimated that about 13 million people are homeless. As these individuals have no close acquaintances, in the event of death, their bodies remain unclaimed. These unclaimed corpses pose a major challenge for the local law enforcement agencies in identification and thus become an obstacle in solving the cases of missing persons. We sought to review the autopsy characteristics and causes of death in the unclaimed/unidentified bodies autopsied at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) from 2006 to 2012. Among the total of 11,786 cases autopsied during the year 2006 to 2012, 1335 (11%) were unclaimed. Most of the cases were males (91%) with a male-to-female ratio of 9:1. Mean age of the cohort was 43 years (range, 1-85 years). Natural events were the foremost cause of death and were more commonly seen in males. While accidental, suicidal and homicidal modes were common in younger age groups; natural manner of death predominated in the elderly. Most of the cases were found dead on the roadside. This paper also compares with the previous study in the same set-up during the time period 2001 to 2005. The authors believe that knowledge about the existing healthcare facilities need to be reinforced and their utilisation promoted.

Fatal hemothorax due to homicidal blunt trauma to carotid artery in the neck

A 30-year-old man was found dead in a pool of blood inside his office room in the morning. Autopsy revealed a small contusion at the lower anterior part of neck, laceration on the left common carotid artery, hemothorax and a laceration over the nose with underlying fracture. On investigation, it was found that on the previous night the victim had been assaulted by his domestic help with an iron rod over head and neck. The blunt trauma to the neck resulted in laceration on the left common carotid artery and subsequently bled, causing fatal hemothorax. The authors report this case owing to the rarity of such patterns of injury leading to fatal outcomes, which may be overlooked due to the simple nature of external injuries.

E-suicide note: A newer trend and its medico-legal implications in India

Rapid advancements of information and communication technology in the form of electronic mails, mobile phones, social networking sites, etc have an increasing impact on people's day to day life. It has been observed that these readily available applications are used frequently to express suicidal intentions. There are many studies on conventional handwritten suicide notes but suicide note in electronic format is an emerging issue and an under-researched phenomena. The authors have termed it as "E-suicide note" and discuss its medico-legal implications in India with examples from their observations.

Suicide note on the palm: three case reports and discussion of medico-legal aspects

Suicide notes are usually written by the victim on paper or readily accessible things such as notebooks, walls or mirrors. Though writing may be found on the body of the deceased, suicide notes in a structured manner written on the palm have not been reported in forensic literature. In all the three cases presented here, we found a handwritten note on the palm of the deceased at the time of autopsy. The victims had written a brief note in their own handwriting, citing the reasons for ending their lives. The suicide note in one case also mentioned details regarding the custody of the victim's children to be given to her mother. Since we have not found similar cases in the literature, we present and discuss our three cases herein.

Suicide pact by drowning with bound wrists: a case of medico-legal importance

Suicide pacts are uncommon and mainly committed by male-female pairs in a consortial relationship. The victims frequently choose methods such as hanging, poisoning, using a firearm, etc; however, a case of a suicide pact by drowning is rare in forensic literature. We report a case where a male and a female, both young adults, in a relationship of adopted "brother of convenience" were found drowned in a river. The victims were bound together at their wrists which helped with our conclusion this was a suicide pact. The medico-legal importance of wrist binding in drowning cases is also discussed in this article.

Antitubercular drug-induced violent suicide of a hospitalised patient

We present a case where a young adult male, on treatment for multidrug-resistance tuberculosis (MDR-TB), developed drug-induced psychosis. The psychiatric symptoms were ascribed to the anti-TB drug and were duly withdrawn by the treating doctors and supplemented with other drugs. However, the victim continued to have psychiatric symptoms and committed suicide in the hospital. He ended his life in a violent manner by stabbing and cutting himself with a kitchen knife. The case is briefly reported in this paper with a discussion on anti-TB drug-induced psychiatric effects leading to suicide.

Ice pick death: a case report and discussion of the injury pattern

Death due to ice pick injury rarely reported in forensic literature. We report death of a 16-year old male, who was allegedly assaulted on chest, back and thigh by his school-mate, with an ice pick. The accused had got the ice pick from his father's ice shop to attack the victim. The multiple stabs to the chest region had perforated the lung and penetrated the heart chambers. The victim succumbed to death on the way to hospital and medico-legal autopsy was conducted. The injuries inflicted by the ice pick are highlighted and its pattern is discussed in this article, owing to the peculiar nature of the wounds produced by the ice-pick.

Cut wrists, electrocution and subsequent drowning in a water drum: an unusual combination of methods in complex suicide

A 25-year-old male was found dead in a water drum inside the bathroom of his house one morning. Autopsy revealed a fatal right wrist cut, superficial cuts on middle phalanx of left index finger and features of ante mortem drowning. Investigation revealed the victim was an alcoholic and was depressed due to financial problems. On the previous night, under the influence of alcohol, he first tried to commit suicide by cutting wrist with razor blades, but death was not immediate. He then attempted electrocuting himself by touching a live wire, inside the bathroom, which failed and finally he drowned in a water drum. The victim had left a message, written with his blood on the floor of the room, reflecting his suicidal intentions. In complex suicide, many bizarre methods are used, but this combination of methods is unusual and not found in available forensic literature.

Sudden death in advanced abdominal pregnancy: a case report and discussion of the related medicolegal issues

We report sudden unexpected death in a 35-year-old woman with pregnancy of seven months duration. There was an allegation by the parents of the woman that she was subjected to an assault prior to death. Autopsy examination showed an abdominal pregnancy with a dead fetus, ruptured gestational sac, massive haemorrhage and secondary placental attachment. During her antenatal check-ups, she had persistently complained of abdominal pain and loose stools, but the diagnosis of abdominal pregnancy was missed clinically and on ultrasound scan. In this paper we discuss the diagnostic difficulties and medicolegal issues in such cases.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Decapitation with egg shelling of the skull in a road traffic accident: a case report

A 40-year-old lady was found dead on a road early one morning. She had allegedly been run over by a speeding vehicle. The head of the deceased had been decapitated, with egg shelling of the skull from the scalp and face. The skull was lying a little distance away from the rest of the body. Although decapitation is not an unknown entity in a road traffic accident, subsequent egg shelling of the skull, leaving behind scalp and face tissue, has not been reported in a road traffic accident in the forensic literature.

An unusual suicide with parenteral copper sulphate poisoning: a case report

A 22-year-old unmarried, male painter was found by neighbouring shopkeepers to be rolling on the ground inside his shop due to severe abdominal pain. The man had tried to commit suicide by intravenously injecting a solution of copper sulphate, used as an antifouling agent in paints. He was taken to the local hospital with severe epigastric pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. His condition worsened after three days and he was transferred to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, but the victim died on his way to the hospital. His relatives and neighbours confirmed that he had recently been suffering from depression.

Full term normal delivery following suicidal hanging

A 23-year-old woman was found hanging from the ceiling of her house by the neighbours. A live healthy male newborn baby was found lying on the ground with the umbilical cord in situ and placenta inside the uterus. The woman, a primigravida, married 3 years back, was in labour since morning. Her husband had gone out to call for some help to conduct delivery. During the absence of her husband, the wife bolted the door from inside and committed suicide by hanging. During this process she delivered a healthy male baby. This may be the first documentation of a pregnant woman delivering a healthy baby successfully, following suicide by hanging.

An unusual suicide with a safety razor blade—a case report

A 29-year-old male was found dead lying in a pool of blood inside a community toilet locked from inside. The individual is alleged to have committed suicide by cutting his throat with a safety razor blade, which was found at the scene by the investigating police authority. The deceased, as per his relatives, was suffering from depression for the last few days.

Electrocution in South Delhi: a retrospective study

One hundred and fifty three unselected autopsy cases of electrocution received from South Delhi were studied during the period 1996-2001. Data for the study was gathered from autopsy reports and hospital records. The cases represented approximately 1.98% of all autopsy cases received from South Delhi at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi (India). Data was analysed with regard to the age and sex of the victim, season of the year, site of the body, time of day, place of occurrence and presence of entry and exit wounds on the body. Death occurred at the scene of the fatal event in 150 cases and three cases died in hospital. Three cases showed no electric burn marks on the body; the cause of death in one of these cases was polytrauma due to a fall from a height and one case had committed suicide.

An unusual suicide by stabbing: a case report

A 50-year old cobbler, employed in a paramilitary unit, was found dead in a pool of blood in his shop inside the unit line in the morning. He had multiple stab wounds on his chest and was alleged to have committed suicide by repeated self-stabbing on the chest with a sharp iron chisel, which was found clenched in his right hand by the investigating officer. Fifteen wounds were communicating with the chest cavity, injuring the vital anatomical structures. The individual, according to the unit personnel, was not suffering from any physical or mental disorder and was not on any medication.