Background:The primary characteristics to establish the identification of an individual are sex, age, and stature [1]. Determination of stature is easy if a complete body or the entire skeleton is found. When only some parts of the body or skeleton are available, it is necessary to have different formulae for determination of stature from their osteometric measurements. The present study aims to assess the stature of an individual from his or her sternum with the help of Posterior Curve Length (PCL). Methods:The study was conducted on 100 cadavers, including 50 females and 50 males, died 18 years or older age. The cases were referred for medico-legal postmortem examination to the Department of Forensic Medicine, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi. Sternum samples were obtained during autopsy (as fresh sternum) and after removal of muscular coverings, cleaned and dried at room temperature (as dry sternum) for the study. PCL was measured and linear regression was used to recognize sternum correlation with stature. Results:In our study which was conducted on fresh and dry samples of sternum, the stature can be estimated by 68% accuracy with linear regression equation of Y=91.51+3.5 (Posterior Curve Length of fresh sternum) with standard error±3.5 cm and correlation coefficient of 0.872. Also the stature can be estimated through Y=96.1+3.4 (Posterior Curve Length of dry sternum) with standard error of ±3.9 cm and correlation coefficient of 0.610. Conclusion:From the present study we found some synergistic factors which are helpful for estimation of stature from respective PCL of sternum which clearly shows that sample of sternum obtained from decomposed body, or in cases where long bones are missing, PCL of sternum acts as an alternative to estimate stature in Delhi population.

We report sudden unexpected death in a 35-year-old woman with pregnancy of seven months duration. There was an allegation by the parents of the woman that she was subjected to an assault prior to death. Autopsy examination showed an abdominal pregnancy with a dead fetus, ruptured gestational sac, massive haemorrhage and secondary placental attachment. During her antenatal check-ups, she had persistently complained of abdominal pain and loose stools, but the diagnosis of abdominal pregnancy was missed clinically and on ultrasound scan. In this paper we discuss the diagnostic difficulties and medicolegal issues in such cases.

Penetrating head injuries caused by unconventional objects such as a nail generate speculation and doubt regarding the manner of infliction. We report a case of a 24-year-old woman alleged to have committed suicide by a fall from height. Autopsy revealed an unprecedented penetrating intracranial injury caused by a nail over the right temporal region, confounding the manner of death. The underlying intersecting pattern of fractures determined the chronological sequence of events. In this paper, we discuss the manner, incidence and pathology of nail injuries to the brain.

This case of sexually motivated homicide combined the perpetrator's obliteration of his victim's identity along with his attempt at concealment of the corpse and sexual gratification following ligature strangulation of a young unidentified female from a minority Indian state. Sexual bondage was evident with characteristic body tying in a typical posture to fuel the killer's sexual arousal and gratification before, during and then after strangling his victim with a scarf. The victim's body was left in a sack packed with vegetables and transported from the crime site and found abandoned in a park.