Badlpaur encounter: Akshay Shinde’s autopsy confirms gunshot as cause of death

Akshay Shinde, the accused

A team of five forensic surgeons from the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology at Grant Medical College and Sir JJ Group of Hospitals conducted the autopsy on the body of Akshay Shinde, 24 the accused in the Badlapur sexual assault case. They cited haemorrhage and shock resulting from a firearm injury as the preliminary cause of death. Shinde was shot and killed by a Thane police team on Monday evening.

A single bullet had hit the left parietal side of the head and it exited from the right cheek, leading to severe skull fracture and injury to the brain, causing two bullet injury wounds (entry and exit). The body was tagged for identification and the entire procedure was videographed/photographed, as per the custodial death autopsy procedure.

The forensic team started the autopsy only after the x-ray films confirmed that no bullet remains were lodged in the body and that it was an entry and exit wound. When asked about the approximate time of death, the experts ascertained the time of death between 6 pm to 7 pm, as the stomach content was found to be empty, indicating that the last meal he had was fully digested.

Apart from preserving the viscera, the forensic team has also taken the skin portion from the entry and exit bullet wound area, to extract carbon particles from the firearms to rule out the proximity of distance (close range or far) of the person who opened fire on the deceased. This can be established by conducting ballistic analysis, by the ballistic experts at the State Forensic Science Laboratory, Kalina.

The handwash of the deceased has also been collected and preserved to extract carbon left out, if any, to ascertain if the deceased had actually opened fire or not. The deceased nail clippings and blood samples were also preserved.

When inquired if the deceased had any other bodily injury, a forensic surgeon replied in negative. And when asked if they could ascertain the nature of the firearm, the surgeon replied in negative stating that as it was a clear case of entry and exit of the bullet, they could not make out the nature of the weapon nor the bullet. The Thane police have maintained that the police officer opened fire from his service revolver.

Badlpaur encounter: Police officer sample crucial

The forensic surgeon added, "It would be important that the handwash of the police officer, who opened fire on Akshay, that led to his death should have been taken at the time of hospital admission because it ascertains if he actually opened fire or not. Similarly, a skin sample from the entry wound on the police officer's (API Nilesh More) thigh, who was admitted to Jupiter hospital, should have been taken at the centre where he was given or taken immediately after the shootout, would be crucial, as the skin will have the carbon particles left, which can establish if the same weapon was used or some other weapon."

Badlpaur encounter: Heavy police bandobast

The entire post-mortem centre was converted into a fortress with heavy police bandobast. The family or relatives of Akshay were not present at the hospital, revealed hospital sources. The body was later handed over to the Mumbra / Badlapur (both teams were present) after the autopsy was done, who will be handing it over to the family, for last rites.