Complex Murder: A Forensic Dilemma

Abstract

Common saying is that everything is fair in love and war and sometimes, the love itself is the reason for the war. Here is a case report on a planned homicide by elaborate forethought and mens rea and a well connived plot to electrocute so that the homicide may be passed off as an accidental occurrence but impromptu decision of thereby strangulating, leaving no chance of survival led to this case being referred from a General hospital in Haryana to PGIMS, Rohtak in view of having now, two different possible causes of death, one being constriction of neck by ligature and the other, electrocution. On postmortem, it was found that the cause of death was strangulation by ligature and electrocution injuries were inflicted in the antemortem period. Therefore, this case stresses upon the very known fact that a thorough autopsy, keeping in view the plausible causes of death and accessory evidence should be conducted so as to help reconstruct the crime in order to aid the investigating agencies, there by aiding justice.