DR R MONISHA,
PG Resident – 2nd year,
Department of Forensic Medicine,
Government Medical College, Kota
Exhumation- latin word: Ex (out of) + humus (earth).
Exhumation means the legal digging out of a dead body which has
been buried previously, from the grave.
Excavation means the removal of old buried evidence such as drugs,
weapons or material associated with human remains such
as ballistics, ligature , clothing and personal effects.
Exhumation is rarely done in India because half of the dead bodies
are disposed off by cremation
Exhumation followed by no Postmortem: done only to relocate the
graveyard.
Exhumation with Postmortem :
No suspicion at the time of Death ---> Body buried without postmortem --->
Suspicion arouse later ---> Body Exhumed and Postmortem done.
Exhumation with a body on which Postmortem has already been done
1st Postmortem already done ---> Burial --->Suspicion arouse regarding
authenticity of earlier Postmortem.
In India there is no such time limit,
Exhumation can be performed after
any number of years after burial.
In France, Scotland and Germany it
is 10,20,30 years respectively.
Determination of cause of death
Homicide, suspected Homicide, homicide disguised as natural ,
accidental or suicidal death, suspicious poisoning, death following
criminal abortion, criminal negligence.
Retrieving evidence
Bullet or to detect poison
Identification
Burial of wrong body by inadvertently or by fraud, settling of
inheritance
Others
Accident claim, civil negligence, insurance, workmen compensation
claim, for relocation of the grave by the relatives.
Looking for nutrition status or disease in previous generation.
For establishing the cause of death.
In India Exhumation can be done only
upon the written order from the
Executive Magistrate or Judicial
Magistrate [ S173(3) CrPC ].
The body can be exhumed by the police
in the presence of Magistrate and the
medical officer.
Whenever possible the magistrate should inform the relatives of the
deceased whose names and address are known, and shall allow them
to remain at the inquiry.[ S174(4) CrPC ]
Identifying features are the,
1. Burial plot location.
2. Grave marker.
3. Headstone.
Note the distance of the grave from some permanent objects eg:
a prominent grave, fence, gate, road, rocks or tress.
POSITION OF THE GRAVE
A ( GRAVE OF X )
20 FEET
( GRAVE OF V ) B D (GRAVE OF Y )
B O
D
13 FEET 39 FEET
Y
40 FEET
C (GRAVE OF Z )
Because Exhumation, Postmortem, Reburial can be conducted in a
same day.
Less number of onlookers.
Presence of natural light
The site to be digged and the place where the postmortem is
conducted should be sealed off in all four directions
Earth should be removed at a layer of 10-15 cm at a time.
Note should be made about the condition of the soil, water
content, and vegetable growth.
Burial pit should be opened upto 30 cm on all sides of the body.
Measure the depth of grave from the surface to the skull as well as
surface to the feet ~ gives details of Inclination.
Before recovery of the body , clear the body surfaces with
a soft brush and photograph of the body in situ is taken.
Drawing of the grave with the body or skeleton should be
made now on which measurements like height of the body,
extend of flexion or extension can be marked.
If the body is in the coffin: note the condition of the coffin whether it is
eaten by worms, sodden, soggy, damaged, peeling on outside, whether
dry or filled with water.
If there is water remove the water as much as possible and send it for
Toxicological evaluation.
Lift the coffin or the body up to the surface by using a PVC sheet or
wooden plank and fine meshed screen in case of advanced
decomposition or skeletonization to detect small pieces of bones or
prosthesis .
The body should be identified by close relative or friends and
the condition of the burial clothing and body should be
noted.
Collect all personal effects such as clothing, nails, hair,
bones in addition to routine samples for toxicological
analysis.
Collect samples of earth – 1 kg from the close contact
with the body, one from above, below and all four sides of
the body.
1. Identification of Grave: The grave is identified by A. Imran Ahmed (Father of
Deceased, B. Shakir Ahmed (big brother of father) in the presence of SHO
Hansraj Meena, C.I, P.S Kotwali as the grave of deceased Abir Ansari at 12.20 on
27/04/23.
2. Description of the Grave: The grave is covered with moist soil. The soil is
covered with petals of roses above. Two vertical lines were present as the north x
south pole of the grave.
3. Procedure of Exhumation: Firstly the moist soil is removed by workers. After
removal 0f the complete soil one stone is seen. The plain stone is present over
the cavity of the grave. The dimension of the soil is 4 x 2 feet placed
longitudinally along the south and north pole.
4. Dimesion of graveyard: the grave is 40 inches in length and 16 inches width and
24 inches in depth.
5. Examination of the grave cavity: The body of deceased in situ which is wrapped
in a white colored cloth. Sand present over the clothes. Foul smell comes out of the
dead body. The samples of soil are taken out from all four sides of the body , up and
down. The head of the body is towards the north pole and heel towards the south
pole.
6. Removal of body from the grave: The body is removed from the grave and
brought to a plain stone near the grave for postmortem examination. The grave is
covered with tent in all sides.
JUSTICE WILL BE
SERVED
Advanced decomposition.
When cause of death is not found.
Criminal abortion.
Death due to burns.
Death of any machine operator in the factory or RTA to check for the
influence under any drugs or alcohol.
Drug induced death.
When there is history of addiction or alcoholism.
History of intoxication.
Surgical or anesthetic death.
1. Stomach with proximal 30cm of small intestine with its contents in
saturated salt solution.
2. Liver 200-300grams, a piece of spleen, one half of each kidney in saturated
salt solution.
3. Blood –30ml.
4. Control solution of saturated salt solution.
Saturated salt solution is prepared by
adding and mixing salt to distilled
water to a point where we see remains
of some salt remains undissolved in
the jar.
1. Heart as a whole in 10% Formalin.
2. A piece of liver, spleen, one half of each kidney, lungs, brain in
10 % Formalin.
Commercial formalin available is 40 %.
Dissolve 100ml of 40 % formalin with 900ml of
distilled water to prepare 1 litre of 10% Formalin.
Burns: Lungs – Presence of soot particles in the terminal bronchioles
is the strong proof of antemortem burns.
Putrefying bodies: CSF or vitreous should be collected, if the
alcohol is due to putrefaction, alcohol will only be detected in blood
not in the urine or vitreous.
Any poison present in the food or medicine found at the scene of
crime is a strong evidence.
[Link]. Sample to be preserved Poisoning by
1. Adipose tissue Pesticides
2. Aborted fetus Abortifacients
3. Amniotic fluid Criminal abortion
4. Alveolar air Anesthetic death
5. Bile Barbiturates, Morphine, cocaine.
6. Blood Particularly in alcohol, cyanide,
carbon monoxide poisoning.
7. CSF Alcohol
8. Decomposition fluid In all cases of putrefaction
9. SDH or EDH Alcohol
10. Nails, Hair Chronic metal poisoning
[Link]. Sample to be preserved Poisoning by
11. Maggots Barbiturates, cocaine, opiods.
12. Nasal swab Cocaine
13. Skin with underlying tissues Unknown bite, corrosive, injected
poison
14. Spinal cord strychnine
15. Spleen CO,CN
16. Thigh muscle Advanced putrefaction
17. Urine In delayed Deaths following
poison intake.
1. One group is killed immediately by putting them in boiling
water and transfering them to acetic acid to find out the stage
of development of maggots.
2. Another group of maggots preserved live in a bottle along with
the food ( some intercostal muscle from the body). These are
allowed to develop into adult worms to find out the species.
Saturated Solution of common salt used in all cases of poisoning except for
the Corrosive acids.
Rectified Spirit except in cases of acetic acid, alcohol, kerosene, phenol,
phosphorous.
Blood for 10ml: 100 mg of Sodium fluoride with 30mg of Potassium
oxalate. (alternative - phenyl mercuric nitrate or sodium azide)
Urine for 200-500ml : equal amount of common salt + equal amount of
rectified spirit + thymol + 1 g of sodium benzoate + 5ml of HCL
PRESERVATIVES TO BE USED
Formalin should never be used as a preservative for toxicological analysis.
For virological Analysis: frozen at –90 degree celsius in liquid nitrogen
flask or with 50% glyceral saline.
Preservation of blood in volatile gas poisoning: a layer of 1-2 cm of
liquid paraffin should be poured over the sample and top up the bottle.
When viscera can be analyzed within 24 hours.
If sample can be kept in ice box or refrigeration.
For hair, nails, bones.
Lungs for detecting inhaled poison.
When sample of skin along with tissue taken from bite site.
Place the organ after removal directly into the container.
For organs container of 1 liter capacity should be used and for blood and
urine sample container of 100ml capacity should be used.
Container should be made of glass with glass stopper, wide mouthed and
clean.
Before using the container should be cleaned with sulfuric acid chromate
solution then rinsed with distilled water and dried.
GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR SAMPLE PRESERVATION
Cut the liver and kidneys into small pieces of 0.5 - 1 cm thickness or mince them
in a grinder for better preservation.
Ligatured stomach should never be analysis , the ends should always be open.
Only 2/3 rd of the capacity of jar should be filled with viscera.
All the bottles are kept in a viscera box and the box locked, sealed. The key of the
box along with sample seal is sent separately.
GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR SAMPLE PRESERVATION
Copy of Postmortem report should be sent to toxicologist to correlate Postmortem
findings with his own findings.
Proper history such as illness, symptoms before death, medications should be
written and sent for histopathological examination.
Any special risk such as Anthrax, gas gangrene, Hepatitis B, HIV, tetanus,
tuberculosis, any radioactive materials should be mentioned clearly.
No resealing should be done once the box leaves the doctor's room.
If the IO cannot take the viscera, refrigerate them at 4degree celsius immediately.