Study of Weapons Related to Mechanical Injuries In Fatal Assault Cases Autopsied at Victoria Hospital

Weapons are instruments used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings. They are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of tasks such as in humans fighting, defence, the committing of criminal acts and the preserving of law and order. Weapons are employed individually or collectively either by single assailant or multiple assailants. Commonly knives, daggers, choppers, bamboo sticks are used to inflict injuries. A cross sectional study was conducted in the Department of Forensic Medicine, Victoria Hospital, Bengaluru over a period of 1 year from Jan 2010 to Dec 2010 to highlight the weapons examined related to mechanical injuries in fatal cases of assault autopsied. Single weapon was commonly used in 20 (46.51%) cases of assault. Face (67.44%) was most commonly injured. Sharp heavy weapons like choppers were commonly used in assault cases.