Exhumation unveiled honor killing of a woman in Pakistan

Abstract

Current case study is aimed to highlight the importance of autopsy and toxicological analysis for the provision of justice especially in cases of suspicious deaths. Introduction: honor killing is an act of murder, in which a person is killed for his/her actual or perceived immoral behavior. Honor killing is locally called Karo-Kari in Pakistan. In Pakistani culture honor killing is quite common. As it is considered unethical norm to get autopsy done therefore, most of the times criminals may abscond free. Current case study is based on a real story of a woman who was killed by her in-laws in name of honor. Victim was blamed for having extra-marital affairs by her in-laws. Dead body of woman was buried as such without performing autopsy to hide her murder. Afterwards, family members of deceased woman suspected that her death was suspicious. On application of one of her family members, exhumation was done on the orders of learned Magistrate after three months of incident. Autopsy revealed injury on the forehead of deceased that also gave clue to further investigation. Exhumation samples (humurus, hair, nails, soil of graveyard, soil from outer surface of the grave, soil from inside grave, lung remnants, remnants of stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver and uterus) of deceased were submitted to author’ s lab for forensic toxicological analysis. Initial screening for drugs of abuse and phosphides was performed using ELISA and colorimetric techniques respectively. Specimens were extracted using modified QuEChERS extraction technique. Aliquots were prepared in vials and injected via auto injector into gas chromatograph coupled with mass spectrometer (Agilent-7890A/5975, capillary column DB-5, 15m × 250 μm × 0.25 μm, split less, run time 14.75 min, scan mode) for detection of any drug/poison in the submitted samples. Toxicological analysis revealed the presence of carbofuran (˃ 1000 ng/mL), carbofuran phenol (Pesticides) and chloroquine (˃ 500 ng/mL) in remnants of stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver and uterus of deceased. In most cases of honor killing victims are females. Although there are no official credible figures of honor killing cases as these often go unreported or passed off as suicides. Exhumation specimens are challenge for toxicological analysis for detection of drugs/poisons especially when time lapse between burial and exhumation is significant. This study highlights the importance and need of autopsy especially in cases of suspicious deaths to determine cause of death. Every suspicious death needs to be investigated properly. Justice for women requires a comprehensive strategy and measures including state prosecutions of honor killing, reformed criminal laws and easy access for women to safe emergency shelters when they report risk from their family. Pesticides are easily available poisons in Pakistan due to their frequent use on crops. There is also dire need to regularize availability, sale and purchase of commonly available poisons especially pesticides.