It was just a tweezer. How a tiny tool caused a fatal injury on a Mumbai local

A wound that looked small from the outside

According to police Singh was stabbed on the left side of his abdomen while getting down from a Borivali bound train at Malad station. Officers say the injury looked minor from the outside and there was little visible bleeding at the spot.

However the post mortem findings showed that the tweezer had gone deep into the body cutting through the skin muscles and abdominal lining before piercing the intestines and major blood vessels. About 2.5 litres of blood and clots were found inside the abdominal cavity which is nearly half the total blood in an adult human body.

Doctors say this explains why the injury proved fatal despite the small external wound.

Can a tweezer really cause death Doctors explain

Medical experts say a tweezer is not a deadly object in normal use. It is a small tool meant for precision work. But when used with force and directed at a sensitive area it can act like a stabbing instrument.

Dr Shailesh Mohite Dean Topiwala National Medical College and Bai Yamunabai Laxman Nair Charitable Hospital and Director of Medical Education and Major Hospitals Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai said the amount of internal bleeding was enough to cause death.

“In this case, the injury is already proven fatal. The depth of 12.5 cm and the presence of approximately 2500 cc of blood inside the abdominal cavity is a huge amount sufficient to cause death due to hypovolemic shock. Survival in such cases depends on how quickly treatment is given. Many patients with stab or bullet injuries do survive but factors such as the site of injury the extent of bleeding the speed of hospital admission and the patient’s age all play a role. A wound of 12.5 cm depth is significant such bleeding usually results from piercing major blood vessels or organs like the liver or spleen.”

Dr Pramod Bhor Director Orthopaedic Department Medicover Hospital Navi Mumbai said the direction of the injury made it especially dangerous.

“If the intestine liver or deep blood vessels are injured the outcome can be fatal. In this case the stab wound is in the abdomen and is quite deep almost reaching the back. This suggests the victim was not very fat as the wound easily reached muscles internal organs and blood vessels. The posterior medial direction of the wound shows it passed through the central abdominal region where major blood vessels lie. The arterial bleeding means those vessels were cut leading to massive blood loss shock and death. With 2500 cc of blood and clots in the abdominal cavity the injury was clearly catastrophic.”

Why abdominal injuries are especially dangerous

Doctors say abdominal stab injuries can be misleading. Unlike injuries to the arms legs or head heavy bleeding may not be visible immediately. Blood can collect inside the abdomen while the person appears stable from the outside.

By the time symptoms become clear the person may have already lost a large amount of blood making survival dependent on immediate surgery and emergency care.

In Singh’s case doctors say damage to blood vessels and intestines caused rapid internal bleeding leading to shock.

Why the accused was carrying the tweezer

Police say the accused Omkar Shinde told investigators that the tweezer was not carried as a weapon. He claimed it was used for imitation jewellery work and was kept in the sling bag he was wearing.

According to police the argument broke out suddenly in a crowded train compartment. Shinde allegedly felt insulted during the confrontation and in anger pulled out the tweezer and stabbed Singh.

During questioning he reportedly told police that he only intended to poke Singh and did not realise the injury could be fatal.

Investigators said the accused threw the tweezer from a railway foot overbridge while fleeing. It was later recovered from outside Malad railway station.