Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology

Background: An autopsy is a systematic examination of a dead body for medical, legal, or scientific purposes. A medicolegal autopsy is conducted to determine the cause, time, and manner of death, establish identity, and decide whether the death is natural or unnatural. In India, all unnatural deaths must undergo a medicolegal autopsy to ensure justice. For MBBS students, attending autopsy postings is essential for understanding real-life postmortem procedures and preparing them for future responsibilities as medical officers. However, many students hesitate to attend autopsies due to fear, misconceptions, or lack of exposure. This study aimed to assess students’ knowledge, attitudes, and barriers related to medicolegal and clinical autopsies. Objectives: The primary objective was to evaluate medical students’ knowledge and attitudes toward postmortem examination and their interest in forensic medicine as a career. Secondary objectives included identifying associations with demographic factors (age, gender, prior exposure) and exploring misconceptions and barriers to attending autopsy postings. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted among Phase II to Phase IV MBBS students and interns at Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chennai. A structured and validated questionnaire was administered to 205 participants. It assessed demographic details, knowledge, attitudes, practices, and perceptions regarding postmortem examination. Data were analysed descriptively. Results: Most participants were Phase II students aged 19-20 years (mean age 19.6 years). Overall knowledge was satisfactory. About 87% knew that police or Magistrate requisition and an inquest report are required before medicolegal autopsy. Around 85% understood its purpose, and 93% knew partial autopsy is not allowed. Knowledge about organ preservation was limited (51.9%). Most students were aware of proper body storage (82.4%) and virtopsy (75.9%). Regarding attitude, 69.9% supported compulsory autopsy exposure. While 78.5% were willing to handle a dead body, 60.7% were hesitant to appear in court. Interest in forensic medicine as a career was expressed by 65.4%. Conclusion: Students showed good basic knowledge and a positive attitude, but practical skills and confidence, especially regarding court duties needs improvement through increased hands-on training and mock court sessions.

Background: Poisoning remains a major public health and medico-legal problem worldwide, particularly in developing countries where toxic substances are easily accessible. The pattern of poisoning varies with geographical, occupational and socio-economic factors. Objectives: To determine the proportion of poisoning deaths among all medicolegal autopsies and to analyze the spectrum of poisons responsible for mortality at a tertiary care centre in Chikkamagaluru. Materials and Methods: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted on medico-legal autopsies performed over a period of two years from January 2023 to December 2024 at a tertiary care centre in Chikkamagaluru. Autopsy records, police inquest reports and chemical analysis reports were reviewed. Cases where poisoning was established as the cause of death were analyzed, and data was expressed as frequencies and percentages. Results: Out of a total of 665 medico-legal autopsies, 100 cases (15.03%) were deaths due to poisoning. Organophosphous compounds were the most common poisons implicated, followed by paraquat, pyrethroid and glyphosate. In a significant proportion of cases, the chemical analysis report was negative or inconclusive. Agricultural pesticides constituted the majority of poisoning deaths. Conclusion: Poisoning accounts for a substantial proportion of medico-legal deaths in the region with agricultural pesticides being the predominant agents

Background: Accurate age estimation in adolescents and adults remains challenging in forensic practice once dental development is complete. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) enables three-dimensional evaluation of skeletal structures and may improve age estimation without additional radiation exposure. Aim: To develop and internally validate a CBCT-based multivariate regression model for chronological age estimation using mandibular morphometrics and to compare its performance with a machine-learning approach. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 150 CBCT scans of individuals aged 10–70 years. Mandibles were segmented using ITK-SNAP software, and standardized three-dimensional morphometric measurements were obtained. The dataset was randomly divided into a training set (n testing set (n = 45). Pearson’s correlation analysis and stepwise multivariate linear regression were used to develop the regression model. A Random Forest regression model was trained for comparison. Model performance was assessed using the coefficient of determination (R²), root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). Agreement between predicted and chronological age was evaluated using Bland–Altman analysis and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: Chronological age showed a strong positive correlation with the gonial angle and a strong negative correlation with the ramus height–to–body length ratio. The final regression model retained gonial angle, bicondylar width, and ramus height–to–body length ratio as significant predictors. In the testing dataset, the regression model demonstrated excellent predictive accuracy (R² = 0.881; RMSE = 6.09 years; MAE = 5.89 years), minimal bias (−0.49 years), and excellent agreement (ICC = 0.90). The Random Forest model showed reasonable performance but did not outperform the regression model. Conclusion: CBCT-derived mandibular morphometrics enable accurate, noninvasive forensic age estimation. The regressi on model demonstrated superior reliability and interpretability compared with machine-learning, supporting its clinical and medico-legal applicability.= 105) and a

The extensive use of pesticides in India, particularly in agriculturally intensive regions, has raised significant concerns regarding environmental contamination and associated human health risks. This review synthesizes recent evidence on pesticide residue occurrence in water, milk, vegetables, and soil, with special emphasis on high-risk agricultural districts of Chhattisgarh and comparable regions. Data were compiled from government databases, peer-reviewed literature, and empirical field-based analytical studies employing standardized protocols (APHA, AOAC) and advanced instrumental techniques such as GC–MS, GC– MS/MS, HPLC-PDA, AAS, ICP–MS, and HPTLC. Findings indicate widespread detection of organophosphates, organochlorines, and pyrethroids—including carbaryl, chlorpyrifos, malathion, diazinon, deltamethrin, quinalphos, and 4,4′- DDT—in environmental and food matrices. Several studies reported exceedance of acceptable daily intake (ADI) and acute reference dose (ARfD) values, particularly among children, highlighting elevated vulnerability. Health risk assessments utilizing Hazard Quotient (HQ), Hazard Index (HI), Target Hazard Quotient (THQ), and Lifetime Cancer Risk (LCR) models revealed potential noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic risks in areas proximal to pesticide application sites.These compounds exert toxicity primarily through mechanisms such as acetylcholinesterase inhibition, endocrine disruption, oxidative stress induction, and bioaccumulation, contributing to both acute and chronic health effects. Spatial analyses further demonstrated contamination hotspots near agricultural spraying zones, while seasonal variation influenced physicochemical water quality and pollutant persistence. Despite regulatory efforts, critical research gaps remain, including limited longitudinal monitoring, inadequate evaluation of cumulative and mixture toxicity, insufficient exploration of non-agricultural contamination sources, and weak implementation strategies for sustainable alternatives.The review underscores the urgent need for integrated surveillance systems, farmer education on safe pesticide handling, improved regulatory enforcement, and adoption of sustainable pest management strategies. Strengthening evidence-based policymaking is essential to safeguard environmental integrity, public health, and long-term agricultural sustainability.