Deaths due to illegal electrification of barbed wire – a case report

From running small gadgets to powering the omnipresent cell phone, use of electricity and electrical gadgets cannot be escaped. Unfortunately, this ubiquity has also led to various ways to get injured or even die from electricity. Though all electrical instruments carry with them some inherent risk in their use, a peculiar problem met in India is the use of electricity in unintended and dangerous ways. This can vary from modified electric fishing poles to electrified barbed wires used for hunting. In this case, portable electrified barbed wires were erected in a forested area to kill and obtain wild boar. Two men who had gone hunting in the same forest were found dead there. On one body, characteristic patterned burn injuries resembling the pattern of barbed wires were present. The cause of death was found to be due to electrical injuries. Finding bodies with burn injuries due to electricity in a forested area will usually raise suspicion of lightning injuries. Nevertheless, an unusual pattern of injuries should be investigated further. In this case, an examination of the crime scene led to the possible scenario of electrification injuries which was confirmed by autopsy and police investigations.