A homicidal ligature strangulation masquerading as suicidal hanging

Death due to constriction of neck by ligature material may result due to hanging or strangulation. It can be homicidal, suicidal or in few cases it can be accidental. In some cases even police officials get confused about the case, whether it is homicidal or suicidal. And they interpret the case wrongly and at that point of time the role of forensic expert becomes important. A meticulous postmortem examination of the body and proper diagnosis can help police officials to direct the investigation towards the right path. One such case is being discussed here wherein the cause of death was guessed by police officials as suicidal hanging, but thorough postmortem examination revealed it to be a case of homicidal strangulation. This helped the police to register a case U/S 302 IPC and apprehend the accused.