Murder Masked in Mud (Slush): A Case of Rare Happening

Medico-legal autopsy is carried out on the bodies of different kinds like fresh/decomposed, complete or incomplete/mutilated, skeletonised and burnt/ashes and so on. Dead bodies recovered from the canal/running water are usually in decomposed condition, however cold weather retards decomposition. We received an identified intact corpse recovered from canal completely covered with soft mud, which was brought for expert opinion from a peripheral hospital with the remarks that this is the body of an assault and in advanced stage of decomposition; the medico-legal practitioner referred the body as such without taking pain to wash the mud to visualize the same. Before conducting the postmortem examination body was thoroughly washed with running water, after which multiple external injuries were observed over the body. Had he simply washed the body thoroughly & conducted the autopsy than the cause of death would have been pronounced then and there.