Profile of Medico-Legal Autopsies Conducted at Tertiary Medico-Legal Centre in Northern Madhya Pradesh along with Effect of Lock Down

Abstract ​Introduction: Medico-legal post-mortem examinations are performed as mandatory legal procedures for establishing the cause of death for people dying in sudden, suspicious and unnatural circumstances. When COVID-19 came to India and Indian government declared a complete lockdown, the autopsy profile is changed. Aims & Objectives: Demographic study and effect of lockdown on autopsy profile. Methods: The present study is a retrospective study carried out in the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, GRMC, Gwalior Madhya Pradesh during the period of 1st January 2020 to 31st December 2020 and analysis of a total of 2170 cases, brought to the mortuary for medico-legal autopsy examination. Later on, the effect of ​lockdown is evaluated on the autopsy profile. Result: The majority of victims were male 1571 (72.4%) cases and female 599 (27.6%) cases. ​The maximum number of p​ost-mortem done in the age group 21-40 years was 1131 (52.12 %) cases and the minimum in the age group 0-10 year were 56 (02.58%) cases. Manners of death due to natural causes were 170 (07.8%) cases and unnatural 2000 (92.20%) cases. The Indian government declared a complete lockdown on the evening of 24 March 2020 for 21 days, which was further extended with some relaxation. Due to this event; the least number of autopsies was done in April (4.5%) which increased to its normal pattern by the end of June (10.6%). During this period i.e. April; there was a slight decrease in male victims (64.3%) and a slight increase in female victims (35.7%).  Conclusion: This study was conducted to determine the effect of lockdown ​​on the autopsy profile. Our study shows that the effects of lockdown​​were majorly seen i​n April month and later on, there was almost no effect of l​ockdown.