1Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India, Dakshin Marg, Sector 36-A, Chandigarh-160036. E-mail: rohitmani2003@yahoo.co.uk.
2Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi-110029.
In a comparative study of fatal poisoning cases at Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Chandigarh during the period January 2001 to December 2005, total 613 cases were brought for Toxicological/Chemical analysis. Out of these, 589 cases of viscera & body fluids with alleged history of ingestion of poison were analysed and interesting changes in trend and nature of poisoning were observed. An increasing trend was observed in fatal poisoning cases during this five-year study period. Among these 589 cases of poisoning, 20.20% cases were of Ethyl alcohol, 8.32% cases of Aluminium phosphide 7.3%, cases of organophosphorous and 6.79% cases were of various drugs. This study shows that number of male victims were 73.17% while female victims were 26.83% thus males outnumbered females. In the present study, married victims were 65.53% which included both male and female. This study reflects that poisoning victims occupied in labour work account for 30.90% followed by housewives accounting for 22.24%. This study shows that most affected age group was 21–30 years which accounted for 33.28% cases. It also shows that maximum number of poisoning cases received in a specific month varied from year to year during this study period.
Poisoning, Analysis, organophosphorous
