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J Indian Acad Forensic Med. Jan- March 2012, Vol. 34, No. 1 ISSN 0971-0973
Case Report
Electrocution Method to Conceal Homicide
A Rare Case Report
*M. P. Jambure, *R. M. Tandle, **K U Zine
Abstract
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.
Key Words: Manual strangulation, Head injury, Post-mortem electrocution, Scene of crime
Introduction:
Deaths due to electrocution are
infrequent; virtually all such deaths are mostly
accidental in nature with suicides much rarer &
homicides least common. In India, the electricity
supplied in domestic houses is usually 220-240
volts alternating current with 50 cycles per
second. [1] Homicidal electrocution is caused by
placing live wire at some place which the victim
is expected to touch. [2] The viscera should be
analyzed to know whether the victim was
impaired at the time of incidence. [3]
Manual strangulation is a form of violent
asphyxia death when the constriction of the air
passage at the neck is caused by means of
pressure of human fingers, palms or hands upon
the throat. Usually murderers use more force to
kill the victim than is ordinarily required; hence
the evidence of the pressure applied, will be
overtly manifested locally.
The modes of death in case of manual
strangulation are asphyxia, congestive suboxia
and vagal inhibition; the latter being more
common. Evidence of certain typical findings
such as head injury and intoxicating drugs in the
stomach of the deceased will suggest homicide,
even in absence of signs of struggle. [4]
Corresponding Author:
* Assistant Professor,
Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology,
Government Medical College, Aurangabad
E-mail: mahesh.jambure@rediffmail.com
**Associate Professor and Head
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The mentality of assailant after
strangling their victims is to hide the crime by
disposing of the dead bodies by burning,
burying, throwing them into water or concealing
them in distant places in most of cases,
electrocution, hanging and throwing the dead
body on railway track. The visit to scene of crime
by medico-legal expert has a great bearing upon
the medical opinion.
Case Report:
This paper presents a case of 45 year
old male who was brought dead to casualty of
Government Medical College, Aurangabad on
15 th September 2008 by his wife and son with
history of sudden unconsciousness after
accidental electrocution while ironing the cloths
at 11 hrs in the morning. The police also
suspected the same due to electrical injuries
over hands.
Autopsy Findings:
External Examination:
On examination, the deceased was a
moderately built, well nourished male of weight
56 kg, and length158 cm. with congested face.
There were petechial haemorrhage in
conjunctivae, bleeding from left ear, lividity fixed,
rigor mortis generalized and well marked.
Injuries over Neck:
Multiple finger tip contusions and nail
scratch abrasions were present over thyroid
region over anterior and both lateral aspect of
neck, reddish in colour.