Journal of Forensic Research

Autopsy Evaluation of Defence Wounds in Homicidal Death in Central India

Abstract

Prakash M Mohite, Deepali P Mohite, Pradeep G Dixit, Anil J Anjankar and Atul S Keche

Defence wounds are injuries which are suffered by an individual in an attempt to save oneself from assault or while defending oneself from the offenders. The nature of these wounds varies depending on the type of weapon used, amount of force and the state of consciousness at the time of attack. They are of great significance in differentiating between manner i.e. homicide, suicide and accident. Hence the present study was undertaken to differentiate the pattern of injuries during defence in Homicidal deaths. A total of 205 cases of homicide were studied. Defence wounds were present in 44.4% of cases, out of which 92.3% were male and 7.7% cases were females. Maximum number of cases (45.1%) with defence wounds belonged to age group 20-29 years. Defence wounds present in injuries caused by sharp cutting weapon with stab wound were less (36.55) as compared to hard and blunt object (57.1%). In 30.8% cases defence wounds were present in more than one part of body. In 17.6% of cases alcohol was found in the contents of the stomach on post-mortem examination. Conclusion: The occurrence of defence wounds varies according to social, political, economic and cultural conditions of the area. The region of Central India is an agricultural region where use of sharp instruments is more common. The institute where this study was conducted is a cultural capital where fights between various social groups take place frequently.