Department of Forensic Medicine


History:

The origin of the department (then called the Department of Medical Jurisprudence) dates back to the foundation of the institution in 1922, the subject being a compulsory part of the curriculum of the LCPS course; Dr. MT Mehta was its first head.

In 1946-47, the department was upgraded to impart training to students of the II MB,BS course of the University of Bombay. 'Til 1970, however, the department was staffed by honorary lecturers, the seniormost of whom was given charge of the department.

In June 1970, Dr. (Smt.) V.V. Apte was appointed to the department as a full-time lecturer, and Dr. C.K. Deshpande, then Dean, assumed charge of the post of its head. When Dr. Apte was awarded the Master's degree in Pathology & Bacteriology of the University of Bombay in 1976, she was promoted as the first full-time Assistant Professor, with charge of the post of its head. She was recognised as a postgraduate teacher for the Diploma in Forensic Medicine & Toxicology of the University of Bombay in 1981, and for the Master's degree in 1984, whereupon the department began registering candidates for these postgraduate courses. (To date, 5 postgraduate students of this department have been awarded diplomas in our speciality, and six a Master's degree. Two are currently appearing at the final examinations of the University for the award of the Master's degree, and two more have registered for the same course.)

Meanwhile, in 1982, Dr. Apte was appointed as the first full-time professor and head of the department, a post she held till her superannuation in 1998. During her tenure, she was a member of the panel of deputy coroners of the City of Bombay for eight years from 1991 until the Coroner's Act was repealed, Vice-President of the Indian Academy of Forensic Medicine, editor of the bulletin of the Medicolegal Association of Maharashtra (and, later its President), and the first lady President of the Indian Academy of Forensic Medicine.

When Dr. Apte retired, the department was initially overseen for a year by Dr. (Smt.) J.R. Dehpande, Professor and Head of the Dept. of Pathology, and thereafter by Dr. S.C. Mohite, (then full-time lecturer and later Associate Professor) until January 2002, when Dr. Walter Vaz was inducted to head the department.


Location:

From a long time after its inception, the department was located in a single large room on the third floor of the College building; several years later, it acquired another room on the fifth floor to house the departmental museum.

In March 2003, the department shifted to its current premises on the fifth floor of the College building, to include offices for the teaching staff, postgraduate students and clerical staff, a seminar room-cum-library, departmental museum, and practical hall (all commensurate with the requirements of the Medical Council of India). The autopsy rooms and histopathology laboratory, however, are located away from the College & Hospital buildings (for practical reasons) and on the third floor of the College building respectively.


Future Plans and Developments:

	Our immediate goal is the upgrading of departmental staff, equipment and facilities towards early recognition by the Medical Council of India of postgraduate courses conducted by this department.
	We are also planning to extend services offered to facial reconstruction, embalming of dead bodies, and greater collaboration with other concerned departments of our institution, the Govt of Maharshtra, the police, the judiciary, UNICEF-Maharashtra and concerned non-governmental organisations in the fields of rescue of distressed children and prosecution of perpetrators of child abuse.

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Staff & Achievements

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