medico legal test
sarada avadhanam

49th AP State Police Duty Meet
Medico legal (oral test). Date15-09-06
Maximum Marks: 50.
Given below are particulars of a crime / case. Please go through the information carefully and prepare yourself for being questioned by the judges on investigation, forensic aspects and medico legal aspects. You are given 30 minutes for preparation. You may make notes for reference only. Please return the script after study to the site supervisor.

Information::
On Sept 17, 1997 the police were called to an apartment by a land lady who complained that she found one of her tenants dead in a mysterious condition.

Investigation:
The room was locked from inside.
Windows and grills were apparently intact.
The police had to break into the room using tyre levers to pry open the door lock.
A man’s body was seen lying on the floor near the foot of the bed.
He had been shot through the mouth, shattering the back of his head.
The exit wound was akin to an exploded skull.
Blood and brain matter was spattered on the wall above the bed head and also on the ceiling, door and a chest of drawers.
A 12 bore shot gun lay on the floor near the corpse.
The gun was facing his crotch on the ground.
His both hands were stretched out fully.
There were blood and brain matter on the table in the room.
Some blood was also on the handle of the chest of drawers.
The handle of the drawers were wiped clean devoid of any fingerprints.
Bloody fingerprints were visible on the handle of the door.
Valium tablet foils were found in the dust bin.
The furniture was scattered around and was topsy turvy.
The wall clock had shattered glass and stopped at 12 PM.
The police photographer recorded the scene through the door of the small room before anything was touched.
Then the photographer entered the room to photograph the corpse lying on the floor.
This proved difficult because of the furniture crowding the small space.
He squeezed and banged, stood on furniture, moved them a little to gain access and finished his photography work and made way for the detectives to enter.
The victim had been depressed and changed his job frequently having as many as five in one year. He was terminated from his last job.
His girl friend deserted him.
His car was insured only for third party risks.
It met with an accident due to drunken driving and it was written off by the insurance company.
His credit card was hot listed due to non payment of overdue.
He was in deep trouble
He was mostly drunk
In desperation he borrowed money from friends and acquaintances and members of his family, sources of which were drying up fast.
He was borrowing from underworld money lenders at usurious rates of interest with no intention of ever repaying it.
He was in a debt trap as he had to borrow fresh at ever increasing rates of interest just to repay the previous debt.
He was short tempered and rude to everyone.
He was not paying rent for the last six months nor was he vacating the room.
Both the barrels of the gun had been fired. The two shots entered the head through mouth.
The gun had black rubber shoulder guard.
A black scuff mark was found on the floor.
Microscopic examination of the mark showed that it was caused by friction with a rubber object.
Shoulder guard of the gun bore traces of varnish and polish.
Land lady was generous in treating the police personnel with food and eatables and coffee on demand.
While leaving the scene, the senior IO noticed that the chest of drawers was not opened since entering the room and opened the same for last minute check.
He found a piece of the skull of the victim in the drawers.
There was no evidence of tampering with lock and key.
The land lady had master key to the godrej night latch fixed to the door.
The door was fully touching the ground when closed.
There was no evidence of pliers, rods, cords etc.
The lights were on in his room till late at night.
The money lenders had a scuffle with him for repayment of the dues on the previous day.
He threatened the land lady when she asked him to pay up the rent dues.
There were two empty bottles with two glasses in his room. One glass was full and the other was empty.
The victim’s wrote in his diary that he faced threats from money lenders.
TV was found blaring out high decibel noises throughout the night.
Rigor mortis has passed off.
No suicide note was found.


Reconstruct the case in your mind for being questioned about the line of investigation, the material clues you collect and send for examination and medico legal aspects of the case.Points to be made by IO:
For suicide:
Debt trap,
lack of income,
lack of family life,
Authenticity of writings in the diary
Interrogation of the land lady, money lenders, employers, co-tenants, co-workers, girl friend, credit card issuers.
Injuries indicated firing into the mouth..
The first discharge would have taken the back of his head off and even if he had a finger on both the triggers it would be impossible to fire both barrels as the recoil of the initial shot would have taken the pressure off the second trigger.
The gun was fitted with a black rubber shoulder guard and this provided the possible answer. If this rubber guard had been resting on the floor the recoil from the first shot would have made the gun bounce upwards so allowing the second barrel to be discharged if a finger was still on the trigger. Black scuff mark was found on the floor of the bed room which microscopic examination showed to have been caused by impact with a rubber object. Moreover the shoulder guard of the shot gun bore traces of varnish and polish, which clearly indicated that it had made forcible contact with the floor. The evidence pointed to suicide.
The closed drawers and skull piece in the drawers can be explained thus: after the police photographer had taken his photographs through the open doorway, he moved into the tiny room, flattening himself against the furniture and walls to take pictures of the corpse. It seemed possible that while concentrating on the difficulties of getting camera angles needed and hampered by the smallness of the room he accidentally pushed against an open drawer in the chest. Thus the drawer with its contents was closed without his being aware of it. The films of shots from out side the room confirmed that the drawer was open before the photographer entered the room.
What is the time of death?
Homicide:
Money lenders and threat from underground money lenders.
Two shots entering the mouth and exiting the skull.
How a man can shoot himself a second time in the mouth after the first had shattered his skull entering through the mouth?
Significance of valium sheet and how do you rule out forced administration of the same.
How do you explain presence of two glasses.
How do you account for the diary noting.
How do you explain the disturbance in the scene of offence.
How do you explain clean drawer handles and stained door handle?

Points of observation for medical officer :

How many shots were fired?
Do the two shots entering by way of mouth give rise to suspicion or not?
Which one of them proved fatal?
Whether after the first injury was there still vital reaction/movement from the body of the victim to have gone in for a second shot to finish him off?
How do you explain the injuries based on your theory?
Which part of the body was aimed at by the shots?
Whether the injuries indicated self inflicted nature? What additional information do you need to establish your theory?
What is the time since death?
How do you arrive at the time since death?
· Is the injury the result of discharge of a firearm ?
· Whether the firearm is a prohibited weapon or army ordnance or uniformed services standard issue?
What was the distance and direction of fatal shot ?
Which one of the wounds was fatal?
What was the course of the projectile in the body?
Whether injuries produced by a single or multiple weapon?
How long could the victim have survived after being shot?
How much activity could the victim have performed after the shooting?
Was death solely due to firearm injuries?
What was the angle of fire?
What was the position of the victim when shot?
What was the position of the shooter in relation to the victim?
Are there multiple wounds?
Could they have been produced by one bullet?
Could have they been fired from one or more guns?
What was manner of firearm incident and injury ‑ suicidal / accidental homicidal? If possible to comment.

Points of observation for forensic scientist:

Blood groups of all the blood stains especially those on the door handle.
Shot gun for finger print examination.
Wads in the crime scene.
Wads in the body of the victim.
What is the range of fire?
Distribution of pellets of the fired shots?
Compare other live and blank rounds with the ones causing the death and establish both fired from the same weapon?
What is the shot size number
What is the size of the bore/caliber
How many number of cartridges were fired
What is its make.
What kind of gun powder was used to propel
Diary writings authentication.


Type of physical evidence
Questions to be put
Fire arms

Was any weapon found and if yes where?
Whether it is company made or country made
Is the weapon smooth bore/ rifled
What is its bore/caliber
What is the make and model
Whether it is prohibited or not
Was the weapon in loaded condition
Whether it comes under the purview of arms Act or not.
Whether the firearm is in working order, if not what repairs are required
Whether the firearm is prone to accidental discharge
What is its effective range
Whether recently used for firing
What type of gun powder is used.
If any erased markings restore the original
Markings.
Sketch of the position of the empties and lives in the cylinder
Parts of fire arms

Whether they come under arms act
What is their nature and type

Cartridges

What is its caliber/bore
Whether it is company or country made
What is its shot size number.
Whether it is live or not
Through which weapon they can be fired
Whether it is reloaded or not.
What type of gun powder is used.

Cartridge cases

What is the caliber/bore
From. Which type of weapon it was fired.
Pellets/wads

What is the shot size number
What is the size of the bore/caliber
How many no. Of cartridges were fired
What is its make.
What kind of gun powder was used to propel
The pellets & wads


Clothes and other materials affected by firing
How many no. Of firearms were used
How many, no. Of shots were fired
What is the range of firing
Whether the holes are entry /exit/multiple
Entry by one bullet or not
What type of gun powder was used for firing
Whether the rents were caused by the leaden
Projectiles or copper jacketed bullets etc.,
Post mortem certificates
What was the range of fire
What was the angle of fire
Whether the wounds were entry or exit
How many shots/bullets were fired.