In a firearm injury, there is burning, blackening, tattooing around the wound, along with a cherry red colour of the surrounding tissues and is cruciate in shape, the injury is -

This question is tricky. First see the information provided in the question:- Burning, blackening, tattooing around the wound. Cherry red colour of surrounding tissue. Both these are features of close shot entry. But the other important information in question is the cruciate shape of entry wound, a feature of contact shot entry. Now you must be thinking that why have I given option c as the answer and not option a. This is because burning, blackening, tattooing and cherry red colouration around the wound may occur in contact shot when muzzle end is not pressed firmly- "If the muzzle end is not pressed firmly or is loosened by recoil, flame; gas and soot may escape sideways and spoil the adjoining skin"........................... Parikh Thus, all the given features (in question) may be found in contact shot entry, and cruciate shape of entry wound is specific for contact shot (not found in the close shot entry).