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Alleged Murder, Uncovered the Mystery as Suicide: A Crime Scene

Investigation Case Study

Article · June 2022

DOI: 10.36348/sijlcj.2022.v05i06.001

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 Scholars International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice
Abbreviated Key Title: Sch Int J Law Crime Justice
ISSN 2616-7956 (Print) |ISSN 2617-3484 (Online)
Scholars Middle East Publishers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Journal homepage: https://saudijournals.com

Review Article

Alleged Murder, Uncovered the Mystery as Suicide: A Crime Scene

Investigation Case
1
Study 1*
Tanmoy Kumar Mukherjee , Harendra Nath Singh
1
State Forensic Science Laboratory, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

DOI: 10.36348/sijlcj.2022.v05i06.001 | Received: 18.04.2022 | Accepted: 30.05.2022 | Published: 02.06.2022

*Corresponding author: Harendra Nath Singh
State Forensic Science Laboratory, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Abstract
The primary goal of every investigation is to find out the actual truth of any fact and prove or disprove any allegations
with the help of scientific evidence according to the law. This case study is an excellent example to understand the crime
scene investigation for forensic and law enforcement professionals, especially in the burning cases. The background of
the present case is that one 18-year-old girl was admitted to a Government hospital in West Bengal, India, with 68%
burns injuries at night. The hospital authorities informed the police about the matter. Accordingly, the local police rushed
to the hospital and recorded the statement of the victim girl. A case was registered by the police against the unknown
miscreant in the local police station on the basis of the statement of the victim girl. Three days later the victim girl died
from his injuries. The case was amended under section 302 Indian Penal Code. On requisitioned by the Deputy
Commissioner of Police, a forensic team under the leadership of the author (TKMukherjee) visited and examined the
crime scene and unearths the actual truth.
Keywords: Forensic Science, Crime Scene Investigation, Physical Evidence, Case study, Burning, Suicide case.
Copyright © 2022 The Author(s): This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
License (CC BY-NC 4.0) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium for non-commercial use provided the original
author and source are credited.

1. INTRODUCTION burning to simulate the crime as suicidal/accidental

Crime scene investigation is a very important burning. While investigating burning cases, it is
part of any investigation. It is the meeting point of imperative to carry out a thorough search of the scene
science, logic and law. Crime scene investigation is a of occurrence and evaluate the physical evidence to
long, tedious process that involves useful determine whether the death was due to homicidal or
documentation, photography or videography of the suicidal, or accidental burning. In the case of
situation or condition on the scene and position of the antemortem burning, soot particle in the trachea is an
evidence. The collection of any physical evidence that important indication to prove the point. Due to
would possibly remove the darkness and illuminate inhalation of carbon monoxide, the blood would contain
what had happened and point to how and who did it. carboxy-hemoglobin, and the color of the blood
changes from dark brown to cherry red.
The investigation begins at the crime scene
with the identification and recovery of physical Due to the lack of scientific knowledge of the
evidences. After analyses and evaluation of the results investigator regarding the proper collection,
of recovered physical evidences, it proceeds to the preservation, storage, and transportation of crime scene
presentation of all the findings to the court. From the evidences, prevent to obtain appropriate analyses and
first responders to the end-users of the information, all results and finally diminish its value before the court of
entire personnel should have an adequate understanding law.
of the forensic process. Crime scene investigation is a
process aimed at recording the scene because it is the 2. Reported fact according to the statement of victim
first encounter, identifying and collecting all the girl
physical evidence relevant to the solution of the case. The statement of the victim girl was that, at
about 03.00 hrs when she was sleeping with her sisters,
Many times, deaths caused by poisoning, she heard the sound of knocking on the main door of
drowning, hanging, or strangulating are followed by her flat. Then she woke up and opened the wooden
Citation: Tanmoy Kumar Mukherjee & Harendra Nath Singh (2022). Alleged Murder, Uncovered the Mystery as Suicide: A 188
Crime Scene Investigation Case Study. Sch Int J Law Crime Justice, 5(6): 188-190.
 Tanmoy Kumar Mukherjee & Harendra Nath Singh., Sch Int J Law Crime Justice, Jun, 2022; 5(6): 188-190
entrance door. The collapsible gate at the entrance was occurrence. Several witnesses including the family
closed at that time. After opening the main door victim members, neighbors, and friends of the victim were
saw through the gap of the collapsible gate that one examined. Investigation revealed that the victim was a
unknown person wearing a black cap was standing in student of class XI. The victim has four sisters and one
front of the door. Seeing the unknown person she was elder brother. All sisters and elder brothers used to sleep
about to close the door and at that time the unknown in one room and their parents used to sleep in another
person threw some liquid on her backside resulting in room in their flat. Police collect the post-mortem
her backside ablaze. Hearing the scream of the victim, examination report where the autopsy surgeon opined
her parents came out of their room and extinguished the that the death was due to the effects of burn injuries
fire with the help of water, and with the help of the antemortem in nature.
neighbor and family members, she was removed to the
hospital and admitted to the female burn ward. Three 4. Forensic Crime Scene Investigation and
days later the victim girl succumbed to her injuries. Discussions:
Over the statement of the victim girl, this case was 4.1 Description of the P.O
registered in the local police station against the The P.O was a four storage building and the
unknown miscreant’s u/s 302IPC. incident had happened inside a south opening two
rooms flat located on the 3rd floor. The rough sketch of
3. Information & evidence collect by police: the flat is given below (not to scale).
During the investigation, police seized burnt
wearing apparel of the victim from the place of

4.2 Observation and examination: synthetic clothing materials were observed on

 The said flat consisted of two rooms, one the floor of the said corridor on the eastern
kitchen, and one toilet cum bathroom. The side of corridor located in between the gap of
only entrance/exit gate consisted of one the metallic almirah and wooden door panel.
metallic collapsible gate and one ply-board  The team used the ALS (455 nm. Alternative
door. Light Source with yellow filter/barrier). Some
 The corridor from the entry gate to the oily deposition characteristics of Hydro-
northern side bedroom having a dimension of Carbon deposition were found on the eastern
~12.5 feet x 4 feet, where the incident side of the floor of the said corridor at a
reportedly took place was examined. The said distance of ~2.5 -3 feet from the entry/exit
corridor was found to be apparently clean. On door even at the lower portion of the eastern
the eastern side of the corridor, one blue- side wall at a height of ~ 8 inches from the
colored old metallic almirah having no door floor.
was kept. The almirah was found to be used as  No any others significant depositions of
a shoe rack and was found kept ~ 3feet away Hydro-Carbon could be observed neither on
from the only entrance/exit gate of the flat. the interior side nor on the exterior side of the
 Some black-colored burnt tiny sticky single panel wooden entry/exit door. No
depositions appeared to be deposition of
© 2022 |Published by Scholars Middle East Publishers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 189
 Tanmoy Kumar Mukherjee & Harendra Nath Singh., Sch Int J Law Crime Justice, Jun, 2022; 5(6): 188-190
significant impression could be observed on examination report that the cause of death as suicide,
the metallic bar of the collapsible gate. and ruled out the homicide, as alleged by the relatives.
 The CCTV footage in the vicinity of the The findings highlight the importance of keen crime
victim’s flat was checked and none was seen to scene observation in the place of incident and which
enter or exit the building during the relevant mysterious situation the fire took place is also stated
period of the fateful night. clearly.
 The forensic team also examined the burnt
clothes of the victim girl which were collected ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
by the police from the place of occurrence and We acknowledge the support from the
found a smell like kerosene oil. Government of West Bengal in terms of infrastructures
and manpower. The authors also thankful to Forensic
4.3 Revealed from the crime scene: Sciences Department and Police Department, West
i. Considering the above observations, it could Bengal, India for their confident and trust on the
be concluded that a fire incident took place corresponding author's crime scene investigation of
inside the eastern side of said corridor located mysterious burning death case. Thanks to the general
in between the gap of blue-colored almirah and people who have cooperated during the crime scene
door panel as evident from burnt sticky items investigation and also accepted the forensic findings.
and deposition of oily substances at places.
ii. The fire was localized in nature with a low Ethical Standards:
degree of flame as evident from the absence of All data/information used in this study were
carbon particles on the ceiling and peripheral collected maintaining all legal formalities and the crime
walls. scene investigation method has been used according to
iii. Considering the location and height of the the guidelines mentioned in the Directorate of Forensic
deposited oily substance as mentioned above Science Service- India. This study did not disclose the
the examination revealed that the victim girl identity of anybody by any means.
might be tried to commit suicide by setting fire
by using any inflammable substance at the Conflict of Interest: None
above-mentioned place of the corridor in
sitting condition. Source of Funding: None

5. The real fact comes out after forensic REFERENCE

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6. CONCLUSION  Singh, H. N. (2021). Crime Scene Investigation,
The present investigation concluded with a International Journal of Science and Research
finding, based on crime scene evidence, crime (IJSR), 10(11), 642-648. DOI:
reconstruction, statements of witnesses, and autopsy 10.21275/SR211112005543

© 2022 |Published by Scholars Middle East Publishers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 190

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