Patna: The Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology (FMT) at AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) Patna conducted a half-day medico-legal training programme for 34 Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs) on Saturday.
The programme, organised in coordination with the Bihar State Police Academy (BSPA), Rajgir, was held with the approval and guidance of AIIMS Patna executive director Prof (Brig) Dr Raju Agarwal.
It was the first of three planned training sessions for DSPs, with two more batches scheduled to undergo similar training.
The programme aimed to improve police officers’ understanding of medico-legal and forensic procedures and strengthen coordination between investigating officers and forensic medicine experts.
Inquest and postmortem procedures
The training covered inquest procedures, postmortem changes, postmortem examination, collection and preservation of medico-legal evidence, and handling of biological samples for analysis at forensic science laboratories.
The officers were also shown video demonstrations of postmortem procedures as part of the practical orientation.
The participants visited the newly inaugurated Advanced FMT Museum and the Mortuary Complex at AIIMS Patna, where they were familiarised with contemporary forensic medicine facilities and practices.
An interactive question-and-answer session addressed common medico-legal challenges faced during police investigations, including evidence collection, documentation, interpretation of postmortem findings and forensic analysis.
Focus on identifying unidentified bodies
The officers were also briefed about the UMID Project, a research initiative of the FMT department being undertaken in collaboration with AIIMS New Delhi and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
The project focuses on developing a national data bank of unknown and unidentified deceased individuals using phenotype documentation and DNA profiling. The initiative is aimed at supporting scientific identification and investigations involving unidentified bodies.
Three-part training programme
The session was conducted by Dr Amit Patil, professor and head of the Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, along with Prof Dr Binay Kumar, Dr Ashok Rastogi, Dr Toshal Wankhade and Dr Chaitanya Mittal. Senior and junior residents of the department also supported the programme.
AIIMS Patna and the Bihar State Police Academy said the initiative was aimed at promoting closer collaboration between medical and law-enforcement professionals and encouraging evidence-based and scientifically informed investigations.
