Home / Crime and Justice / Chennai's Macabre Display: A Head, a Murder, and Forensic Science
Chennai's Macabre Display: A Head, a Murder, and Forensic Science
10 Jun
Summary
- A severed head in a jar, specimen M11, unsolved 1952 murder case.
- Forensic matching of vertebrae, ear piercings, and fingerprints solved the case.
- Two convicted for murder: former lover Devaki Menon and husband Prabhakara Menon.
In a forensic museum in Chennai, a jar holds the half of a human head, labeled M11, a specimen from a 1952 murder case. The victim, C Alavandar, a pen salesman, was dismembered, with his torso found on a train and his head discovered buried.
Forensic medicine teachers rely on historical accounts and newspaper archives to understand the investigation. In an era without genetic profiling, assistant professor Dr CB Gopalakrishnan expertly matched the neck vertebrae of the head and torso. Age, build, and unique ear piercings were also crucial identification markers.
Fingerprints were compared to Alavandar's World War II service records, confirming his identity. This anatomical and documentary evidence, coupled with a missing-person report and witness accounts, led to the conviction of Devaki Menon and her husband, Prabhakara Menon, for his murder.
The head remains a teaching tool, illustrating how meticulous anatomy and documentation can solve complex cases. Originally, one half of the head was sent to Madurai Medical College, while the other stayed in Chennai.
