The Rajasthan High Court has issued a significant and far-reaching directive mandating that all medico-legal reports—including injury reports, post-mortem reports, age determination reports, sexual assault reports, and related documents—must be generated using the Medico-Legal Examination and Post-Mortem Reporting (MedLEaPR) software beginning 1 February 2026. The order reflects the Court’s deep concern over the chronic problem of illegible, handwritten medico-legal documentation, which has often hampered investigations, criminal trials, and judicial decision-making.
The Bench, led by Justice Ravi Chirania, initiated the order in response to a bail application in a murder case, during which the Court struggled to interpret the post-mortem report. After reviewing the document, the Court described its condition as “pathetic” and noted that medical jurists and doctors prepare these reports in a negligent, careless, and virtually unreadable manner. The Court lamented that although the MedLEaPR digital system exists, having been implemented in places like Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh, Rajasthan had yet to adopt it fully.
In fact, the Court was told that while the State began transitioning to the software in January 2025, the implementation remained partial and flawed. It was brought to the Court’s attention that medico-legal reports were still being drafted by hand whenever the investigating officer did not explicitly request a digital report. The Court squarely rejected this discretionary approach: it found it unacceptable that the choice to use the software was being left to individual officers. According to the Court, such selective adoption defeated the purpose of digitisation.
To rectify the situation, the Court issued detailed and binding directions. First, it called for a formal notification within 15 days, ordering all government and private doctors who prepare medico-legal reports to use the MedLEaPR software strictly from the February 2026 deadline. Second, it directed that all investigating officers and police agencies be instructed to request medico-legal reports exclusively through the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS), thereby ensuring digital generation without exception.
Recognising the challenges during the transition period, the Court allowed temporary accommodations: until the digital system is fully in place, all hand-written medico-legal reports must be in capital letters, legibly written, and accompanied by a typed version. This ensures that even interim reports remain readable and usable in legal proceedings.
The Court also mandated that the State produce new report formats within 10 days—formats which provide ample space and clearly demarcated columns to prevent overlapping text or unclear entries. This would make the reports more structured and legible.
Further, the Court stressed the need for authentication and record security: every digital report must include a QR code that links to case-specific data, thereby enabling tracking and verification of the report’s origin. Each report should also carry a physical signature of the pathologist or reporting medical professional, confirming that all tests have been completed and concluding with a definitive opinion.
Another key concern was sample handling in criminal cases requiring forensic analysis. The Court ordered that biological samples collected for forensic testing must be sent to forensic labs within five days of collection, and that the investigating officer be kept informed of the sample’s status via email or SMS. MedLEaPR must also allow the IO or a designated authorised person to track the status of the sample through the system.
To ensure confidentiality and data integrity, the Court asked the State to secure the reports stored in the software. No unauthorised access, sharing, or data leakages should be allowed, and the system must maintain strict controls so that only authorised personnel can view or edit the reports.
To monitor compliance, the Court required the State to submit a compliance report within 45 days, backed by affidavits from Chief Medical and Health Officers (CMHOs), heads of government hospitals, and heads or authorised persons of private clinics. These affidavits must confirm that relevant officials are aware of the new directives and are preparing to implement them.
Importantly, the Court made non-compliance consequential: if a medico-legal report continues to be prepared by hand after the February 2026 deadline, the responsible officials—including doctors and authorised personnel at private establishments—will face disciplinary action under the Rajasthan Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules.
This directive from the Rajasthan High Court marks a major step in modernising medico-legal documentation in the State. By mandating the use of MedLEaPR software, the Court seeks to eliminate the long-standing problem of illegible medical reports, thereby enhancing the credibility of forensic evidence, improving coordination between medical and investigative agencies, and strengthening the foundations of justice.
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