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Introduction:An increasing death rate as a result of violence constitutes a large group in medico-legal autopsies especially deaths due to asphyxia which are one of the most important causes in violent deaths. Analysis and interpretations of cases of hanging, ligature strangulation, throttling, suffocation, traumatic asphyxia and drowning is presented in this paper.

Drug trafficking is a serious global issue leading to law and order problems in the affected countries. A 29 year old, female, Zambian citizen was brought to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, Amritsar, Punjab by Indian Border Security Force in semi-conscious state from Indo-Pak International Border, Wagah, Amritsar. Initially which was thought to be a case of sexual assault but later on, during her post-mortem examination, 50 large cylindrical hard shelled capsules were recovered from her gastro-intestinal tract and surprisingly it turned out to be a case of drug trafficking by body packer and poisoning of the deliriant cerebral group of drug cocaine, from ruptured capsules was the ultimate cause of death. In this case postmortem examination not only helped in establishing the cause of death, mode and manner of death but also had exposed almost fatal new mode of drug trafficking by body packing, across the international border, without arousing any suspicion to the police or intelligence agencies.

In ancient times, people considered fire one of the basic elements of the universe, along with water, air, and earth. Fire can be a friendly, comforting thing, a source of heat and light, as anyone who has ever sat by a campfire in the dark of the night knows. Yet fire can also be dangerous and deadly, racing and leaping like a living thing to consume all in its path. Death due to burns was one of the commonest unnatural deaths found in society. A retrospective study of cases from January 2011 to December 2012 of death due to burns was conducted in the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Government Medical College, Amritsar. The objective of the study was to understand various demographic aspects of deaths due to burns so as to suggest some remedial measures.