An Analysis of Trends of Fatal Firearm Casualities in Medicolegal Autopsy in Varanasi Region (India)

Abstract

Use of firearm is a worldwide increasing and Varanasi is no exception to this. This is due to increasing number of hijacking, urban terrorism, dacoity, rioting, robberies, smuggling of drugs, political motivation, personal and group rivalry, quarrel over land, Property, caste feuds and the like.In present study fifty four cases of fatal firearm injury has been drawn from the medicolegal autopsies brought to the mortuary of Department of Forensic Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, U.P. India, during the period from 1 June, 2009 to 30th March 2011, were studied for a detailed epidemiological and medicolegal analysis. The paper highlights the important facts that out of total 3534 autopsies conducted during the above period 54 (1.52%) victims had had died due to fatal firearm injury and to know the common victim of fatal firearm  injury, sex and age, range of fire, vital parts involved.  The main purpose of study to view their various epidemiological, motivational and pathological aspects in order to fill-up lacunae and also to add to the body of the knowledge regarding the cases and help the scientific crime investigation.

Key words: Epidemiology;  Pathological aspects: Group rivalry;