The tragic demise of a 20-year-old youth from Odisha, Padmalochan Salima, while working aboard a fishing trawler, has unearthed a compelling narrative of crime and detection. Doctor Madhu Gaude, Head of the Department of Forensic Medicine at South Goa District Hospital, in a post on social media, sheds light on this gripping case, offering insights into an unusual yet pivotal clue that emerged during the investigation.
The incident came to light when the victim’s body was discovered floating in the sea, prompting an investigation by the Coastal Police. With the body severely decomposed and the face unrecognizable due to marine scavenging, traditional identification methods proved challenging.
Facing the dilemma of waiting months for DNA results, Dr. Gaude took a different approach. He engaged in a conversation with the father of the missing youth, probing for any distinctive features or medical history that could aid in identification. It was then that a seemingly trivial detail emerged – the victim had a blackened second toe, a result of a previous injury from a fallen stone.
As Dr. Gaude recounts, the father’s astute observation not only confirmed the identity of the deceased but also unearthed a congenital anomaly—a ‘Hallux varus’—a deformity of the big toe present since birth. This seemingly minor detail provided a crucial link in the chain of evidence, affirming the victim’s identity beyond doubt.
“In this case, the deceased pointed his deformed big toe towards the crime which took away his life,” remarks Dr. Gaude. “This time, the deceased spoke to me through his father…dead do tell tales,” said Dr. Gaude.
Reflecting on the broader implications of this case, Dr. Gaude emphasizes the enduring value of human intelligence in crime investigation. “Today everyone is technology-dependent and in the future, in addition, will be dependent on artificial intelligence. I am not saying it is wrong, but we cannot easily ignore freely available human intelligence input,” he claimed.
The autopsy conducted by Dr. Anup Chandran and Dr. Bharta Shreekumar further corroborated suspicions of foul play, leading to the arrest of suspects aboard the trawler.
