Exhumation – Nuisance to the Dead, Justified?
Abstract
Objective Exhumation stands as a very significant feature of forensic investigations. The legal excavation of dead bodies for ascertainment of the cause of death has always aided the law enforcement agencies to comprehend the anonymity of any suspicious case and further convict the criminal in cases of homicides. This study analyses the different aspects of the exhumations which were carried out and were autopsied in Karachi during the study period.
Method This was a cross-sectional study, and included all the exhumations carried out in Karachi during a period of 7 years and 7 months from 1 January 2004 to 31 July 2011.
Results A total of 101 exhumations were carried out during the study period. Out of 101 cases, 63 were males (62.4%) and 38 females (37.6%) giving a male to female ratio of about 3:2.