Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Kumar
Kumar
Virendra Kumar
MBBS, MD (India)
Dowry
Marital Infidelity
Sexual Jealousy
Impotency
Oedipal Dominance of mother in law over the
bridegroom
Contd/-
Husband may be Intoxicated, Epileptic, Insane
Deluded or Depressed
Wife may be Intoxicated, Epileptic, Insane or
suffering from any Chronic Incurable diseases
Poverty
Loneliness
Quarrel with mother in law or husband
Failure in the exams
Frustration in Love
Unemployment etc
DOWRY
Dowry means the money, goods or estate
that a woman brings to her husband in marriage
Contd/-
Dowry Related Crimes
Dowry Death
(l) (Sec. 306) -In Indian Penal Code has been dealt
as :
Contd/-
(2) Sec. 113 A of Indian Evidence Act deals with
the presumption as to abetment of suicide by a married
woman as:
"When the question is whether the commission of
suicide by a woman had been abetted by her husband
or any relative of her husband and it is shown that she
had Committed suicide within a period of seven years
from the date of her marriage and that her husband or
such relative of her husband had subjected her to
cruelty, the Court may presume, having regard to all the
other circumstances of the case, that such suicide had
been abetted by her husband or by such relative of her
husband.
Cruelty by Husband or Relatives of
Husband: (Sec. 498 A IPC)
I Data Collection
II Epidemiological Features
III Nature of Injury
IV Medico legal Aspects
V Exclusion and Inclusion Methods
I. Data Collection
A Interviewing
a) The husbands and in laws
b) The parents
c) The neighbours and friends
accompanying the dead body
d) Police constables accompanying the
cases.
B The police inquest reports and other Police
papers sent with the dead bodies
C First information reports.
D Autopsy examination proper.
These methods were used to collect the different
data pertaining to the cases.
II. Epidemiological Features
A The Host or the burn victims, such as
a) Age
b) Educational background
c) Occupational status
d) Socio-economic status
e) Religion
f) Personal history
whether -Intoxicated
-Epileptic
-Insane
-deluded
-depressed etc.
g) Marriage history such as
i. Type of marriage love or arranged marriage
ii. Date month and year of marriage
iii. Age at marriage
iv. Date of starting of conjugal life
h) Family history --
i. Whether joint or nuclear family
ii. Number of children
iii. Number of persons in the family
B The Agent or the source of fire
a) Match stick
b) Wood cooking stove
c) Kerosene lamp or stoves
d) Gas cooking stoves
e) Coal cooking stoves etc.
C The Circumstantial Data (Environment)
a) Place of occurrence
Closed space ---kitchen, living room, kitchen cum
living room, store room
Open space -----Verandah, roof, portico, field etc
b) Season, month and time of the incidents
c) Rescue measures -
Whether attempted or not, If yes, then by whom
d) Place of death -
i. On the spot
ii. in the way to hospital
iii. in the hospital
iv. After discharge from hospital at house or any
other place
III. Nature of Injury
A Burn Injuries
a) size of the burnt area
b) site of body injured
c) whether ante mortem or postmortem burn
d) fatal period
e) External Postmortem finding ---
Kerosene oil smell
Singeing of hairs
Sooty blackening
Pugilistic attitudes
Heat fractures etc...
f) Internal changes at autopsy
i the presence of soot in the respiratory tract, or
GIT
ii generalized congestion
iii pallor of the viscera
iv Curling's ulcers
V state of uterus etc.
Contd/-
2. Parents
Not available during autopsy as not been informed
Wrong parents
Parents also do not tell the truth just to avoid any
legal implications
Unable to share the fact due to mental trauma
3. Police
Bribed by in-laws to make the incident as an accident
4. Neighbour
Not available in many cases
If available, do not want to give any statements due to
legal implications
5. Autopsy
Even at autopsy also, it becomes sometimes difficult
to know the nature of death
Other Sources of data collection
(Not used in authors study)
Contd/-
This report can be utilized for advocacy at state,
regional and national levels. The targets for advocacy
in this matter should include the policy makers
including politicians and bureaucrats. India has a large
influence of cinema actors that can become channels
of change for the public so they should also be the
target of advocacy activities.
Useful tool for conceptualizing etiological factors
and identifying prevention strategies. Within this
framework, the host (woman), the agent (fire
source) and the environment (social and physical)
are analyzed in each of the three event phases:
Pre-Event
Event
Post-Event, as targets of change
Contd/-
Other General Measures
50 46.05
40
30.92
30
Percentage
21.05
20
10
1.98
0
Suicidal Homicidal Accidental Undetermined
Manner of Death
Homicide by burning of married women -
(48.93%) were done at an earlier age(16-20
years), While suicidal and accidental-(40.62%)
and (27.14%) respectively burning occurred at
a little older age from 21-25 years.
PROFORMA
OF
RESEARCH
A STUDY OF BURNT MARRIED FEMALES IN MEDICOLEGAL AUTOPSIES
12. Socio-economic Status: Very low / Low / Lower middle / Higher middle / High
/ Very high
22. Was there any relationship with the Dowry in the marriage - Yes/No
If Yes --- i) Whether in kinds/Money/both
ii) Was anything left to be fulfilled on the demand of Inlaws -Yes/No
iii) Whether the dowry was enforced/willingly given.
iv) Was such dowry instances in the family - Yes/No
v) Was any marriage in the family without dowry system - Yes/No
vi) Was ever any death in the family in relation to Dowry - Yes/No
FAMILY HISTORY:
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
28. Was ever any suspicious death of women in the family- Yes/No
If Yes - then what was the
i) Nature-
ii) Mode-
iii)Manner-
iv) Cause -
CIRCUMSTANTIAL HISTORY;
v) Whether the windows were open / closed / closed & bolted from inside /
window shut
32. Source cf Fire:
Match stick / wood cooking / Gas cooking / Kerosine stove or lamp /
Petromax light / smoking in bed / Hut caught fire / fire works / sigree
for warming the room, body or hairs /explosion /unknown / any other
33. Whether there was evidence of use of any combustible substances- Yes/No
If Yes - i) Nature - Kerosine oil / petrol /' paraffin oil / any other ,
ii) Quantity
iii) Where was it lying
34. Whether any associated person caught fire during the incident - Yes/No
If Yes - i) Number of such, person -
ii) Relation with the victim -
iii) Percentage of burn of the person/persons
iv) Evidence of struggle by victim to save himself
35. Whether any other article(s) in and around the body caught fire - Yes/No
If yes - give details -
36. Whether any person present in the house at the time of incident - Yes/No
If Yes - i) Number of such person(s)
ii) Their relation with the deceased -
iii) The distance of the nearest person from the victim at the time of
incident
37. Whether the victims cried and /or screamed - Yes/No
If Yes - i) Natures
ii) Number:
iii) Durations
38. Who did first notice the incident
i) Relation with the victims
ii) What did he/she notice first - fire/smoke/cry/ any other .....
iii) At what state of fire - very high flame/low flame/ no flame/smoke only/any
other ..........
iv) State of victim dead / gasping / deep coma / semi conscious / conscious.
v) What did he / she do -
a) whether he/she tried to extinguish the fire - Yes/No
b) whether he/she informed the police- Yes/No
c) whether he/she informed the neighbour- Yes/No
39. Whether the victim was rescued - Yes/No
If Yes
By whom - Husband/Inlaws/Neighbours/any other people-specify.
40.When was Police informed about the incident
i) Time interval between the incident and information to the Police - Hours Days
ii) By whom Husband / In-laws / Neighbors / Parents /any other- Specify -
iii) Mode of information Verbal / Writing / Telephonic / any other method .........
iv) Nature of information - Accidental /suicidal / homicidal
v) Whether the Police was delaying or refusing to record F.I.R. by Parents or
relatives of victim - ---Yes/No
41. Whether any alteration was made at the scene and in the circumstances of
incident prior to arrival of the police----- Yes/No
If Yes - i) Nature of alteration:
ii) By whom
iii) With what intent and motive:
42. Whether the apparels were found at the time of incidents----- Yes/No
If Yes -
i) Nature loose / tight / partly loose or tight.
ii) Type -- Sari / Dhoti / Petticot / pant / salwar / Kurta / Any other.
iii) Material cotton / synthetic (Terene, terrylene, nylon, silk) /
semisynthetic (Terri cot) / any other
43. Was the death suicidal Yes / No / Doubtful.
i) If suicide - probable.,motive - Quarrel with mother inlaw / quarrel with
husband / quarrel with any other / unemployment / poverty / failure in
examination / frustration in love / scolding / incurable chronic diseases
/loneliness / any other - specify
46. If the nature of death is doubtful then what could be the most probable nature
Accident / Suicide / Homicide
TREATMENT HISTORY
47. Did the victim receive any treatment - Yes / No
If Yes i) first aid alone / hospitalized /any other- specify -
ii) place of treatment- private clinic / P.H.C./ District hospital /
Medical college hospital / any other
iii) If hospitalized----date and time of admission.
iv) Time interval between incident and the commencement of the
treatment ---Hours ------ Days
If prolonged - give reason -
v) Duration of treatment-
vi) Treatment received- fluids / antibiotics / G.V.paints / skin grafting
/ any other- specify-
vii) Duration of survival of the victim-
48. Place of death spot / way to hospital / in the hospital / any other place / unknown
ii) Any other article in the body- Extra piece of cloth / Bangles / ring / chain /
any other
iii) whether any ligature mark on limbs or neck - Yes / No
iv) Other ante mortem injuries abrasion / contusion / laceration / gunshot /
stab wound / fracture.
v) Age of the other ante mortem injuries --- same age / different age
vi) Any evidence of smothering / throttling / hanging / strangulation etc.-Yes / No
vii) Heat effects
a) singeing / burning of hairs.
b) sooty blackening /charring of body.
c) heat rupture
d) heat fracture
e) body cavity exposed
f) pugilistic attitude
viii) Site, distribution and extent, degree and depth of burn:
Genitalia -
Total percentage of burn -
Degree of burn - 1st degree 2nd degree 3rd degree
i) Exploration of -
- Injuries discovered on external exam.
- Injuries caused by falling objects.
- Tissue and cartilage of neck and hyoid.
ii) Skull and Brain-
a) Heat fractures of skull bones- present / absent
b) Intracranial haemorrhage & injury - present/absent
If present, then- type
- extra dural
- sub-dural
- sub-arachnoid
- any other.
iii) Respiratory tract (Larynx, Trachea & Bronchi) Normal / congested /
contain soot particles /any other changes
iv) Lunqs (Left & Right) -- Normal / congested / serous effusion / infection
/ other changes.
v) Stomach -
a) contents
b) soot particles
c) gastric erosions
d) poisons