Pattern of Alleged Homicidal Deaths in and Around Cooch Behar Region

Authors

  • Deepmalya Sengupta 1 , Pranabesh Bharatee 2, Saikat Saha 2 , Rajib Prasad 3

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37506/ijfmt.v15i1.13539

Keywords:

Homicide, Victims, Pattern of injuries, Weapon, Survival period.

Abstract

Homicidal deaths are a significant public health problem and affect every society around the world. The
incidence of homicide has seen a worldwide upsurge with varying trends across geographical locations.
Detailed information on the characteristics of victims of homicide from the Cooch Behar region is limited.
This article explores recent trends of homicide in the Cooch Behar region. The study was conducted between
June 2019 to May 2020 at the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Cooch Behar Government
Medical College and Hospital, Cooch Behar. 1133 autopsies were conducted over the time-period with 70
homicidal deaths. Most of the victims were males (70%) with a male to female ratio of 2.33:1. 34.3% of
victims were between the ages of 21 – 30 years. Most of the victims were laborers (18.6%) while Hinduism
was the most common religion (65.7%). 06:00 pm to 12:00 midnight was the time when the majority of
the incidents took place and 68.5% of victims were brought dead. Injuries by hard blunt weapons and
sharp cutting weapons were responsible for maximum deaths, constituting 21 (30%) and 15 (21.4%) cases
respectively. Multiple regions of the body were involved in 35.7% cases followed by head and face region
with 34.3% cases. This study is significant as it aims to identify the profile of risk factors of victims of
homicide and suggest new lines of research that would help to reduce the number of homicides.

Author Biography

  • Deepmalya Sengupta 1 , Pranabesh Bharatee 2, Saikat Saha 2 , Rajib Prasad 3

    1 Senior Resident, 2 Assistant Professor, 3 Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Cooch
    Behar Government Medical College and Hospital.

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Published

2020-12-31

How to Cite

Pattern of Alleged Homicidal Deaths in and Around Cooch Behar Region. (2020). Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, 15(1), 954-962. https://doi.org/10.37506/ijfmt.v15i1.13539