A Retrospective Descriptive Analysis of 
Exhumation Autopsies Conducted at 
Government General Hospital, 
Ongole (2021–2025)

Exhumation is the lawful disinterment of a buried body for medico-legal purposes, primarily to ascertain the cause of death or establish identity, notably when allegations arise after burial. This retrospective study was conducted at Government Medical College and Hospital, Ongole, and involved analysis of hospital records over a 5-year period (2021–2025). The objective was to examine the forensic characteristics of exhumation autopsy cases with respect to indications for exhumation, socio-demographic profile of the deceased, determination of cause of death, and other relevant medico-legal parameters, based on hospital records and police inquest reports. A total of 22 exhumation autopsies were analysed, including 12 male (54.5%) and 10 female deceased (45.5%). Although allegations of homicide prompted exhumation in 15 cases (68.2%), homicidal death was confirmed in only 2 cases (9.1% of total cases and 13.3% cases with allegations of homicide). Exhumations were also undertaken for other medico-legal purposes such as insurance claims, alleged medical negligence, and road traffic accidents. The most common reasons for not conducting a primary autopsy prior to burial included post-burial emergence of allegations, lack of awareness regarding legal provisions, socio-cultural resistance to autopsy, and instances of clandestine burial. Despite challenges related to prolonged burial and advanced decomposition, a definitive cause of death was established in nine cases (40.9%), including those examined up to 120 days after burial. The findings highlight the medico-legal significance of exhumation autopsy while emphasising the need for timely primary autopsy to preserve critical forensic evidence and prevent avoidable exhumations. However, the major limitation of the present study is its small sample size ( n = 22), which prevents generalizability of the findings.