Voting behaviour of different castes in 2024 general elections of India

 Introduction

1.Ours is a caste ridden society. Castes play an important role in shaping the voting behaviour of the people. In normal times, it is caste which makes or breaks the government. But in abnormal situations, people vote overriding the primordial loyalties like castes, communities and religion. 

2.In 2024 General Election for the Lok Sabha, a general trend is visible across the country. The upper castes voted overwhelmingly for NDA led by BJP while Muslims and Dalits by and large voted for Congress and India alliance. 

3.In Karnataka, 22% upper caste voted for Congress and 71% for NDA. The dominant Vokalinga votes were split between NDA and Congress, 56% and 44% respectively. 

4.The 76% of  the dominant Lingayat voted for NDA, while only 20% voted for Congress. 2/3rd (66%) dalits voted for Congress and 1/3rd (33%) for NDA. 44% Adivasi voted for Congress, 56% for NDA. 92% Muslims voted for Congress and only 8% for NDA.  Thus, the Congress got only 9 seats and NDA 19 seats out of the total 28 seats in Karnataka. 

5.In Haryana, Congress and BJP got 5 seats each out of the total 10 seats. 

6.The dominant Jat community voted overwhelmingly for Congress (64%) and only 27% for BJP. The share of the Upper caste was 66% for BJP and 30% for Congress. The votes of OBC were split between Congress and BJP, 51% and 44% respectively. Congress made a dent into the OBC votes of BJP. 68% scheduled caste voted for Congress and only 24% voted for BJP. 

7.In Rajasthan,Out of total 25 seats,  the BJP won 14 seats and the Congress won eight seats. The Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party and the Bharat Adivasi Party each won one seat.

8.The 26% upper caste voted for Congress led India alliance and 65% voted for BJP. 

9.The 39 % OBC voted for India alliance and 59% for BJP, 46% Dalits voted for Congress and 37% voted for BJP. 40% Adivasis voted India Alliance and 46% Adivasis voted for BJP. 68% Muslims voted for Congress and only 14% voted for BJP. From the above data it is clear that OBC votes, Dalit votes and adivasi votes split between the Congress led India alliance and BJP. While the upper caste Hindus voted overwhelmingly for BJP, the Muslims voted for the India alliance. 

10.In Delhi, 71% upper caste, 58% OBC and 49% Dalit voted for BJP. While only 14% upper caste, 19% OBC, 20% Dalit and 34% Muslims voted for Congress. 12% upper caste, 20% OBC, 28% dalit, 49 % Muslims. Thus, there was a clear divide. While the upper castes and obc voted overwhelmingly for BJP, the dalit vote was split between the India alliance and the BJP in equal measures. As usual , 83% Muslims voted for the India alliance. People were satisfied with the performance of the central government. The arrest of Kejriwal did not cut ice with the voters. That’s why, the BJP swept all the seven seats.

11. In Chhattisgarh, BJP cornered 10 out of 11 seats in the 2024 election. This was because 74% upper castes, 56% OBCs and 59% Dalits and 41% Adivasis voted for BJP. 

12. In Gujarat, 71% upper caste, 80% Patidar, 58% Kshatriya, 68% OBC, 54% Dalits, 49% Adivasi and 29% Muslims voted for BJP. The Congress got 25% votes of upper castes, 6% votes of Patidar, 39%votes of Kshatriya, 23% vote of OBC, 46% votes of Dalits, 41% votes of Adivasi and 59% votes of Muslims. Thus, votes of dalits and adivasi more or less vertically divided between Congress and BJP while Muslim voted for congress overwhelmingly, upper caste Patidar, Kshatriya and OBCs voted overwhelmingly for BJP. That’s why, BJP cornered 25 out of 26 seats in Gujarat. 

13.In Punjab also, 56% upper caste Hindus voted for BJP. Every third urban voter voted for the BJP. Sikh OBCs were mainly divided between the Congress and the AAP. The BJP did not open its account in Punjab. Out of the 13 seats, Congress won 7 seats, AAP 3 seats, SAD 1 seat and Independents 2 seats. 

14.In Uttar Pradesh, Upper Castes 16% voted for the India alliance and 79% for the NDA. 82% Yadav voted for India and 15% for NDA. 61% Kurmi Koiri voted for NDA and 34% INDIA alliance. 59% OBCs voted for NDA and 34% for INDIA. 25% Jatav voted for India, 24% for NDA and 44% for BSP. Non Jatav Dalits overwhelmingly supported the INDIA alliance (56%) while 92% Muslims voted for the INDIA alliance.  Thus, 13% Jatavs of UP who were the staunch supporters of BSP, got split. Although half of the Jatavs still remained with BSP, half of them split between NDA and India.  Unemployment, inflation, paper leaks were important factors that made a dent into the BJP votes. So out of 80 seats Samajwadi Party got 37 seats while Congress got 6 seats. 

15.In Bihar, out of 40 seats NDA got 30 seats. India alliance got 9 seats (RJD 4, Congress 3, CPI ML 2) Independent 1. 53% Upper caste, 67 % Koiri + Kurmi, 26% Yadav, 54% other OBC, 65 % Dusadh/ Pasi, 58 % other scheduled caste and 12% Muslims voted for NDA. While 10 %  upper caste, 19% Koeri and Kurmi, 73% Yadavs, 14% other OBC, 35 % Dusadh/ Pasi, 42% other scheduled castes and 87% Muslims voted for INDIA Alliance. Thus, other OBC, Dusadh/Pasi, Koeri and Kurmi tilted in favour of the NDA alliance. 

16.In Telangana, out of 17 seats both the Congress and the BJP won 8 seats each and was won by Asaduddin Owasi. 53% upper castes, 42% OBC, 24% scheduled castes , 29% scheduled tribes, 4% Muslims voted for BJP. While 29% upper caste, 38% OBC, 45% scheduled caste, 58 % scheduled tribes, 33 % Muslims voted for Congress. The vote share of the BRS dropped to 17% in the Lok Sabha election from 38% in the assembly election in the last year. There has been a massive shift in OBC and upper caste votes to the BJP. This vote shift has come from the BRS. Thus it was a major setback for the Congress Party which won a thumping majority in the recently held assembly election. 

17.In Madhya Pradesh, all 29 seats were cornered by BJP. And completely decimated Congress. 72% of the upper caste, 63% upper OBCs, 71% lower OBCs, 53% Dalits and 70% Adivasis voted for BJP. Thus the vote share of BJP went up to 59% while the Congress got only 32% votes. Poor organisational structure, lack of effective leadership and clear cut ideology eroded the vote percentage of Congress Party in Madhya Pradesh. 

18. In Andhra Pradesh, the formidable alliance of Telugu Desam, Jana Sena of Pawan Kalyan and BJP decimated the YSR Congress Party led by Jagan Mohan Reddy.  The NDA Alliance swept the assembly election and YSR CP was reduced to only 11 seats in state assembly of 175 seats and 4 seats in Lok Sabha (25 seats) about 55% upper castes, 62% Reddy, 32% Kamma, 44% Golla and Kuruma, 23.8% Goud, 53.5% Muslims, 55.6% Christians, 47.7% Mala voted for YSR Congress Party. While the NDA Alliance got more than 60% vote share of Goud, Kammas and Kapus, More than 50% vote share of OBCs, Madigas and Malas. More than half of the voters below 25 years and 2/3rd of the voters between 26 and 35 age group voted overwhelmingly for INDIA Alliance. 

Conclusion

1.In 2024 General election, BJP got 240 seats and along with NDA partners it reached 293. Congress got 99 seats and along with INDIA Alliance, it crossed 234 seats. In the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh , Uttarakhand , Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, it got dismal performance. Even in the Congress ruled states of Karnataka and Telangana, it did not show effective strength. 

2.BJP did not get a full majority on its own because it did not perform well in the states of UP and Maharashtra. The Congress did well in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra capturing 13 seats and INDIA alliance got 30 seats, 17 seats by NDA and 1 seat by Independent.  

3.2024 general election showed upper castes and OBCs other than Yadavs rallied behind NDA while Muslims and Dalits supported Congress and INDIA Alliance. 

4.Wherever, there was a split of votes dalit and adivasi, NDA swept the poll. INDIA Alliance must focus upon dalits, adivasis, OBCs and Muslims in order to get electoral advantage in the next election. Since the upper caste is by and large solidly behind the BJP and NDA alliance in northern India and a major chunk of OBCs other than Yadavs support NDA alliance, it would be the Prime Focus of India alliance to make dent into the OBC votes. If it wants to capture power at the centre and states in northern India. 

Social changes in ancient India

 Introduction

1.Ancient Indian society was not a static society. It underwent social changes in different phases.

2.The British historians deliberately pointed out that Indian society never witnessed any change in its long history of 3000 years. Charles Metcalf said that when nothing seemed to last, these village communities in India lasted forever.

Indus Valley Civilisation

It was a bronze age culture. Town planning and drainage system was excellent. Trade and commerce thrived. But we have not deciphered their script. So, we cannot confidently describe their social organisation. However, the excavations at different sites indicate that the citadel was the locality where the ruling class lived. The middle settlement was meant for bureaucrats and merchants, the lower parts of the town was meant for common people. Temples have not been found in the Indus civilization, as we find in the Babylonian civilization.  Thus, scholars are of the view that a class of merchants ruled over the area in Harappa and Mohenjo Daro. After the decline of Indus Civilisation, around 1700 BC, India did not witness urban centres for the next 1000 years. It was only around 600 BC that urban centres sprang up in north India.   

Rig Vedic Period (1500 BC - 1000 BC)

1.Kinship was the basis of the social structure.

2.They were pastoral, moving from one place to another along with their cows and cattle. 

3.The concept of territory did not evolve because there is no mention of the term Janpada in the Rig Veda.

4.Family was a very large joint unit. It was a patriarchal family headed by the father.

5.Women could attend assemblies and offer sacrifices along with their husbands.

6.The institution of marriage was established but there was also the practice of widow remarriage and levirate (niyog).

7.Gradually the tribal society was divided into three occupational groups. They were warriors, priests and common people. The fourth division called Shudras appeared towards the end of the Rig Vedic period. 

8.Women were employed for domestic purposes. Slaves were not directly used in agriculture or other productive activities.

9.Differentiation based on occupation was not very sharp. 

Later Vedic Period (1000 BC - 600 BC)

1.Later Vedic Society came to be divided into the four varnas. They were Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. 

2.Brahmin conducts rituals and sacrifices for their clients and kings. They prayed for the success of their patron in war and in return the king pledged  to support them. Both Brahmin and Kshatriya fought for supremacy but when they had to deal with Vaishyas and Shudras, they set aside their differences and crushed the disobedience or revolt of the Vaishya or Shudras.

3.Kshatriyas were assigned the duties to protect the people. During this period, the king had to depend upon the voluntary gift of the people called Bali. Since the economy was not a surplus one, the king could not collect taxes on a regular basis.  

4.Vaishyas were engaged in agriculture and cattle breeding. Towards the end of the later Vedic period, they began to do trade and commerce. 

5.All the three upper varnas were called dwija (twice born) because they had to undergo upnayan or investiture ceremony with the sacred thread. The fourth Varna called Shudras were deprived of sacred thread ceremony and recitation of gayatri mantra. Similarly, women were also denied the recital of gayatri mantra and upnayan ceremony. 

6.Among the Shudras, Rathakar or chariot makers were given higher status because in those days battles were fought by chariots drawn by horses. This practice continued till the Mauryan period.

7.The power of the father increased who could disinherit his son. The right of primogeniture was established. The position of women deteriorated. The institution of Gotra was established in the later vedic period. The people of the same gotra could not marry among themselves  so the strict rule of Gotra exogamy was enforced. 

8.Ashramas or four stages of life like Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha and Sanyasa were not well established during this period. Sanyasa or ascetic life developed after the later vedic period during the age of Buddhas in 600 BC. 

Age of Buddha (600 BC - 320 BC)  

1.The social differentiation became very much pronounced. Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudras were assigned well defined functions. Brahmanas demanded various privileges like exemption from taxation and punishment. The Kshatriyas ranked second in the varna hierarchy. They lived on the taxes collected from the peasants. Their main function was to fight and to govern the people. 

2.The vaishyas were engaged in agriculture, cattle rearing, trade and commerce. They had to bear the brunt of taxation collected by the king. 

3.The shudras were meant to serve the three higher varnas. They worked as domestic slaves, agricultural slaves, craftsmen and hired labourers. 

4.The society became very hierarchical. The higher the Varna, the more privileged the person was.

5.The vedic practice of killing cattle indiscriminately in sacrifices hampered the progress of new agriculture and therefore, the vaishyas very much detested the animal sacrifices and supremacy of Brahmanas.  Similarly, Kshatriyas protested very much against the various privileges enjoyed by Brahmanas. The scholars are of the view that the reaction of Kshatriyas against the Brahmin domination led to the rise of Jainism and Buddhism in north India. Both Mahavir and Gautam Budhha came from Kshatriya Varna. Buddhism gave the kshatriyas the highest place in the varna hierarchy above the Brahmanas. 

6.The rise of the Magadha empire at the cost of other Mahajanapadas in the sixth century  BC under the leadership of Bimbisara and Ajatshatru further strengthened the position of the Brahmanas and Buddhist monks. 

7. But in the republics like Vaishali and Shakyas, Brahamanas had no importance in governance.

8.The Indian legal and judicial system originated and developed during this period. Dharma Sutras define the duties of each of the four varnas. The civil and criminal laws came to be based upon varna division. All forms of disabilities were imposed upon shudras. Crimes committed against Brahamanas were severely punished but when Brahamanas committed crime they were given light punishment.

9. During this period, a theory was developed that Brahamanas were created from the mouth, Kshatriyas from arms, Vaishyas from thighs and Shudras from the feet  of the lord Brahma. During this period social stratification strengthened very much. Shudras were not allowed to dine with upper varnas. Inter-marriage among four varnas was prohibited. The shudras could not be appointed to the high post in the government. The civil and criminal punishment became very harsh. Tit for tat was the common method for the punishment.  

Mauryan Period (300 BC - 300 AD)

1.Kautilya advises the king to promulgate dharma because the king was the protector of dharma. This means that no varna should be allowed to deviate from their assigned duties. Nobody should encroach upon the four stages of life (Ashram).

2.The policy of Ashoka was very much resented by the Brahamanas because he prohibited killings of birds, animals and sacrifices. 

3.Ashoka appointed Rajukas and Dharma Mahamatras to govern the people on the basis of vyavhar samta (equality in criminal law) and danda samta (equality in civil law) for all varnas. The entire Dharma sutras compiled by Brahmanas were based upon varna discrimination. And so, the privileges enjoyed by Brahamanas were curtailed by the emperor Ashoka. Scholars are of the view that because of the Brahmanical reaction, Pushyamitra Shunga, a brahmin,  killed the last Mauryan king Brihdatta in the broad public view and established the Shunga dynasty. Later on, in the western deccan Satvahanas established their rule. They were brahmins.  They performed vedic sacrifices on the large scale and donated land grants to brahmanas.   

4.Since 200 BC onwards several invasions of India happened. The Indo-Greeks, the Sakas, the Parthians, the Kushanas and the Indo-Sassanians entered into India and became an integral part of Indian society. They were Indianised. They had no separate ideology or religion and so they were assimilated in Indian society. They lost their identity. Since they had come as invaders, they were placed as Kshatriyas.

5.In the Deccan, Satavahanas established their rule and extended their kingdom to Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. Originally they have been deccani tribes but they were brahamanised. They performed many ashwamedha yagya. The Satavahanas showed the traces of matrilineal social structure; it was customary for their king to be named after their mother like Gautamipurta or Vashishti Putra. This means that mothers, particularly the women, enjoyed higher status in the society. The queens exercised power and acted as regents in case of minor kings. However, the Satavahanas society was patriarchal and succession passed through the male members. 

6.The Satvahanas started giving tax free villages to Brahamanas and the Buddhist monks. The granted villages could not be intruded by police or other royal officers.  This led to the autonomous region within the kingdom. The feudatories became powerful and thus we see that society became graded. The king was at the top while the second grade was enjoyed by Mahabhoj, the big feudatories and the third grade by Senapati. 

Sangam age in the South (300 BC- 300 AD)

1.Three kingdoms of the Chola with its capital at Uraiyur, Pandya with its capital at Madurai and Chera with its capital at Muziris sprang up in the far south.

2.Brahmins enjoyed a powerful position in the Sangam kingdoms. Unlike the Brahmins of North India, they ate meat and drank wine. 

3.The rich peasants called Vellalas occupied civil and military offices in both the kingdoms of Cholas and Pandyas. The ruling class had a matrimonial relationship with Vellalas. These Vellalas held the bulk of the Tamil land. The rich peasants did not plough themselves but employed the labourers to cultivate their lands. 

4.There was great social inequality. While the rich lived in the houses made of brick and mortar, the poor lived in thatched houses. 

5.Since the three Sangam aged kingdoms fought among themselves, the war booty was the main source of livelihood and the warrior class enjoyed special status in the Sangam society. 

Gupta Period (319 AD -550 AD )

1.Large scale land grants to Brahamanas made them the most powerful during the Gupta period. They claimed many privileges and amassed huge wealth.The practice of land grants to government officials in lieu of salaries further eroded the authority of the Gupta kings. This practice of land grants to brahmanas and government officials led to the rise of landlordism in northern India and devolution of the central authority.  

2.The proliferation of the caste into numerous subcastes occurred during this period because of the infiltration of the foreigners. The Huns came into India on a large scale in the second half of the fifth century AD. 

3.Many tribes were Brahamanised and brought into the fold of brahmanical order. The position of shudras improved during this period. They became agriculturists also, in addition to domestic slaves and servants and agricultural labourers.

4.The number of untouchables increased during this period on account of the prohibited marriage of the pratiloma marriage where the shudra groom married with the bride of higher varna like Brahmana, Kshatriya or and Vaishya. The untouchables lived outside the village.

5. Sati system became prevalent during this period and in patriarchal society women began to be treated as the item of the property and except stree dhan they were not allowed to inherit landed property of their parents. Widow remarriage and niyog were completely prohibited among higher varnas. But shudras could practise widow remarriage or niyog.

The period of Chalkuyas and Pallavas (300 AD - 700 AD)

1.The period saw the rise of Brahmanism in south India. However, Pallavas and Chalukyas fought against each other for supremacy for 200 years and ultimately destroyed themselves.

2.Society was dominated by the princes and priests. The king claimed the status of Brahmin. However, many of them were local clans. The priests got extensive land grants and so they became very much influential. Below the princes and priests were peasants who were shudras.   The king was ordained to protect dharma, which means that nobody was allowed to deviate from their assigned duties. Most of the kings adopted the title of dharma maharaja. This period saw extensive agrarian expansion in the peninsula. Because of the high taxation upon lower varnas and acute social inequality, Kalbharas revolted against the supremacy of Brahamanas. They captured Brahmadey villages. They defeated one by one the Chola, the Pandya and the Cherra kings. Their revolt could be quelled only by the joint efforts of Pallavas, Chalukyas and Pandyas kings. This shows that the large scale land grants to Brahmanas adversely affected the peasants. 

Conclusion 

1.Thus we see that the society in ancient India passed from several stages of evolution. From the food gathering society of the palaeolithic age , it was succeeded by food producing society of the neolithic and chalcolithic age.  Indus valley people developed an urban civilisation. 

2.During the Rig Vedic the society was tribal and pastoral. 

3.During the later Vedic period the society became agricultural and they practised subsistence farming.

4.During the post Vedic period the society was fully divided into four varnas of Brahamana, Khastriya, Vaishya and Shudras. The interaction among these varnas became less with the passage of time. Because of the introduction of iron in the agricultural activities in the Gangetic valley, the peasants could produce surplus and so, they were then in the position to pay taxes to the kings. This led to the rise of the Magadha empire.

5.During the Mauryan period, the Brahmanical reaction was witnessed against Ashoka's policy. During the Kushan period, so many castes and sub-castes proliferated because of the intrusion of large scale foreigners into India. 

6.In the Gupta period in north India and during the period of the Chalukya and the Pallavas of peninsular India, large scale land grants to Brahmanas and government officials eroded the central authority. The burden of the heavy taxation upon peasantry was very much resented by them and they revolted against the kingdoms of Chalukyas, Pallavas and Pandyas.  And the revolt was so extensive that it could be quelled only by the joint efforts of all the kingdoms of the peninsula. Thus, we see the growth and development of landlordism in both north and south India since 5th century AD. This phenomenon weakened the central authority leading to the rise of so many kingdoms throughout India. 

How to investigate car accidents on the road ?

Why is it in the news ?

1.A teenage boy from a wealthy family of Pune killed two engineers by his car, who were riding on the bike on the road. The boy was alleged to have been drunk. Although the driver was sitting within the Porsche car, the teenager boy was driving the car. The accident occurred on the night of 19th May 2024.

2.The police arrested the mother, father and grandfather of the teenage accused. Her mother was accused of giving her blood sample so that it could be swapped with that of her 17 year old accused son. Similarly, his father was accused of swapping the blood sample of his son so that the blood test of the accused should not have the content of alcohol in his blood.  The grandfather was accused of abducting the driver and forcing him to take the blame for the accident that killed two software engineers. 

3.Police also arrested Ajay Tawde, the former head of the forensic medicine department at the state run Sasoon Hospital, Dr. Shri Hari Harnon, casualty medical officer and Atul Ghat Kamble, staff at the morgue for allegedly changing the minor’s blood sample in return for financial favours. The trio have since been  placed under suspension. 

4.Police is going to collect the DNA sample of the mother of the accused so that it can be matched with a swapped sample at Sasoon hospital. 

5.The accused teenage boy is under remand at an observation home in Pune till June 5th on the revised order of juvenile justice board. The interrogation is going on to ascertain the location of the accused teenager before the accident, about him driving the vehicle, about how the accident happened and what happened at Sasoon hospital. 

6.The police questioned the hospital nurses, leading to the revelation of  the accused mother's alleged involvement in the swapping of blood samples. 

7.The role of sitting MLA, Sunil Tingre of NCP (Ajit Pawar) who reached the Yerwada police station  immediately after the incident, is also being investigated by the police. 

8.Meanwhile the CM of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde has expressed grief over the Pune luxury car crash and promised that the guilty will not be spared. The CM Shinde assured parents of the killed engineers of thorough investigation in the case. He assured that he will personally monitor the case and will review it daily. 

Introduction 

1.Road accidents have been the leading cause of deaths worldwide. 

2.In 2019, a total of 4,49,002 accidents were reported across the country resulting in 1,51,113 deaths and 4,51,361 injuries to road users. This averages to almost 1230 accidents, 414 deaths daily.

3. The 5.04% of total roads in India comprise of national and state highways and have cumulatively accounted for almost 54% accidents and 60% deaths in the country with the balance 94% of Indian roads contributing to 45% of road accidents and 39% of deaths. The high number of accidents on highways are indicative of overspeeding being the primary cause for such accidents. 

How to investigate car accidents on the road? 

1.The main purpose of the whole investigation of an accident is to establish the cause of the incident.

2.The cause of the accident is necessary for the investigation of the case in order to fix responsibility upon the guilty, to make known the nature of the incident to the family members of the victim as to how the accident took place.  It is also necessary for safety authorities to make improvements so that such types of accidents can be prevented from re- occurrence. 

3.In a car accident, it is necessary to establish the identity of the location where the accident took place on the highways or roads.

• To identify the driver in a case where the owner of the vehicle alleges the theft of his vehicle. 

• To identify the vehicle in a hit and run case.

4.Collection of physical evidence from the scene of crime is of primary importance. Location of the vehicle may be sketched, photograph should be taken, dent on the accidental car should be taken note of. In case of collision the traces left on the car according to the principle of mutual exchange should be taken note of as per Locard's theory. 

5.At the crime scene following evidence should be collected -

• The location, direction and position of the accidental car. 

• Broken or damaged part of the vehicle.

• Greases and lubricants

• Glass pieces of various shapes and sizes.

• Tire impressions of the four wheels which are found either at sharp turns or where the vehicle has been reversed or when the brake has been used to lock the wheels.

• Skid marks. The formula of a skid mark is S = 5.5√CL where S is the speed of the vehicle (in miles per hour), C is the coefficient of the friction between surface of the road and the tyres of the vehicle and L stands for the length of the longest skid mark on the surface in feet. If the road is dry the value of C normally ranges between 0.69 and 0.75. For example, there is a skid mark of 32 feet and coefficient is 0.72, the speed of the car would be 26.4 miles/hr. 

• Dust,dirt or other debris fell from the suspect vehicle at the time of impact.

• Personal or vehicular articles left at the scene.

• Drag marks of the loaded material.

6.Following examination of the vehicle should be done   

• Finger and palm print, tool marks and fabric prints.

• Hair, fibres, blood stains or skin pieces from the victim, small broken parts or fragments of the vehicle or the article hit.

• Broken glass, paint, greases, lubricants from the vehicles which were hit and control samples from the suspected vehicles or similar articles to those left at the scene of crime.

• Cigarettes and Bidi butts from the vehicle.

• Mechanical fault of the vehicle.

• Evidence related to changes in paints and numbers on registration plate and serial number on engine and chassis. 

• Evidence related to overloading of vehicles. 

7.Following examinations of the victim / driver should be done

•  Injuries 

• Blood present on the clothes

• Hair, skin 

• Alcohol and narcotics in the body, if the victim has taken the same. 

• Signs of disease from post mortem report.

• Physical examination of the driver including his blood samples to ascertain whether he was drunk at the time of accident or have taken some narcotics and psychotropic drugs like heroin, morphin, charas, ganja or hasis, opium 

8. Collection of physical evidences 

• Take photographs and make sketches of the scene at the earliest without any disturbance at the place.

• Photographs and sketches should be taken in such a way that the location of the accident scene can be fixed by including some of the prominent fixed landmarks like milestones or any hoarding. 

• Photographs should be taken in such a way to show the identity of the vehicle, like the kind of vehicle or its number plate. 

• Before taking away  the vehicle, note down the reading of the speedometer, record the temperature of the vehicle, of the atmosphere and of the water in the radiator. 

Evaluation of the physical evidence

• Evaluation should be based upon logic and feasibility.

• The statements of witnesses should be corroborated with the collected physical evidence from the scene of crime.

• Relationships should be established between the marks and the person involved. 

• The investigator should develop his own interpretation about the crime. 

• The evidence of the eye witnesses should be reviewed. Are there any areas of agreement or disagreement or if there are disagreements, then why?

• The condition of the vehicle is to be examined as to whether the vehicle itself was the cause of the accident or not?

• What was the speed at the time of road accidents because overspeeding is one of the biggest causes of the crash. 

• Condition of the road and the ability of the driver and his physical health have also to be examined.

• By the measurement of the skid mark, the initial velocity of the accidental car can be ascertained. 

• The visibility and extent of the vehicle damage have to be ascertained. 

Conclusion

• The investigation of a vehicle accident is to ascertain the cause of the incident to establish the guilt of the accused in the court of law.

• In the investigation of vehicle accidents, physical evidence plays a very important role.

• In most of the hit and run or accidental cases, the vehicle involved may carry traces from the scene of occurrence or from other vehicles involved. 

• Skid marks play a very important role in measuring the initial speed of the accidental car. 

• Similarly, the extent of vehicle damage indicates the over speeding of the vehicle.