Prasad VVIT Nambur 93 94 96 98 98 CUSTODIAL DEATH A death in custody is a death of a person in the custody of the police, prison service or other authorities. deaths resulting from police or prison officers attempting to detain a criminal or a person escaping or attempting to escape from police custody or prison. TRAUMATIC ASPHYXIA ARM LOCK OR NECK HOLDS BLUNT INJURY ALCOHOL SUICIDE NATURAL CAUSE OF DEATH Traumatic asphyxia:
When several policemen fall upon
a resisting offender to overpower him CUSTODIAL DEATH Arm-locks or neck holds: Applied by policeofficers to resisting persons are other causesof deaths during arrest. The arm lock is applied either from behind or with the head of the offender tucked under the police officers arm against the waist. compression of the front and sides of the neck and death can occur . either from reflex cardiac arrest or cerebral ischemia during carotid compression or asphyxia from airway obstruction, though the latter is unlikely to be the sole mechanism. CUSTODIAL DEATH Blunt injury
may occur from the use of fist, arm or leg and
by use of a weapon such as a truncheon, riot stick or pistol butt. Any type of blunt injury may be received. Head injuries may occur during a scuffle from falls either against the ground, or against a wall or other obstruction. ALCOHOL is a frequent cause of death in custody and also it is major factor in provoking aggression and violent resistance. When blood alcohol levels rise to above 350mg/100mL there is an increasing risk of coma and central respiratory depression. At lower blood alcohol levels there is still the risk of aspiration of vomitus and choking on gastric contents. At autopsy, this aspiration should be distinguished from the common agonal phenomenon . SUICIDES
in custody are quite common. Most
police forces deprive the prisoner of any objects that could be used to hang himself in the cells such as belts, braces, cord or even bootlaces. In addition, the police cell may be specifically designed to avoid any convenient suspension points, such as bars, hooks, internal door handles. CUSTODIAL DEATH
Deaths may occur from purely natural causes,
usually of cardiovascular origin and no objective proof can be provided when the emotional and physical upset of being arrested an confinement may have affected the blood pressure and heart rate sufficiently, by an adrenaline response, to have precipitated an acute cardiaccrisis in the presence of severe preexistingdisease Investigations of Torture and Custodial Deaths
All deaths in custody should be examined with
care to ensure that the guardians are cleared of any suspicion of ill-treatment. The torture and custodial deaths are confirmed by circumstantial and corroborative evidence. The victim is usually in detention in or some
form of custody. Investigations of Torture and Custodial Deaths Such types of death are usually involved with the non-cooperating attitude of the authorities that are hostile to impartial injury.
The cases are handed over to the responsible authorities
such as Red cross, Amnesty International, Physicians for human rights.
.There is usually delay in the process before a victim is
being brought for examination, the injuries may have healed and body may have decomposed. Body is sometimes disposed off early. Investigations of Torture and Custodial Deaths
The causes of deaths in torture or custodial
deaths may be sepsis, haemorrhage, internal organ injury and even sheer exhaustion.