Adipocere Formation in Subtropical Climate of Northern India: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

Adipocere formation depends upon multiple environmental factors. In comparison with temperate countries, it usually develops early in the subtropical climate. We have studied a retrospective data of 31 cases with adipocere formation at Department of Forensic Medicine at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. Most of the cases were recovered during the month of May to October from closed rooms at home, open grounds, open forest areas, various water sources, and riverbanks. The time duration of recovery from the time of death was from 12 h to 7 days 12 h. In 10 cases, adipocere formation was seen within 2 days, and in four male cases among them, the adipocere formed within a day. Most of the bodies showing adipocere formation within 2 days were recovered from land. These facts showed that subtropical climate having hot and humid weather promotes early adipocere formation compared to temperate climate.

A practical review of adipocere: Key findings, case studies and operational considerations from crime scene to autopsy

“…Many of these cases all took place in areas of India which typically have a very hot and humid climate (e.g. Delhi) 82 . Sikary and Murty (2015) 83 reported cases in which adipocere formation occurred in less than 2 days.…”