New Delhi: Lieutenant governor VK Saxena has approved a proposal for the linking and redistribution of police stations to hospitals across the city for handling medico-legal cases and conducting postmortem examinations.Officials said the reform was envisaged under the three new criminal justice acts and was designed to ensure quicker and more efficient medical and forensic support to victims involved in cases such as rape, road accidents and other emergencies where immediate medico-legal intervention was required.The LG secretariat said the approval followed an extensive review and collaboration between Delhi Police and the home and health departments of Delhi govt. They added that the process began with Delhi Police submitting a consolidated list of police stations along with their corresponding designated and alternative hospitals. The health and family welfare department then formulated a comprehensive proposal addressing the current needs and challenges in the medico-legal case management.A dedicated committee was formed under the health department to analyse and recommend an optimal linkage between police stations and hospitals, aiming to eliminate delays in providing urgent medical treatment and facilitating the medico-legal examination of victims. The committee’s recommendations were then thoroughly examined by the home department in consultation with both Delhi Police and health officials to ensure feasibility and effectiveness, LG’s office stated.A draft notification outlining the redistribution was vetted by Delhi govt’s law department, which reviewed and suggested necessary amendments to align it with legal provisions.Officials said the redistribution was being implemented under Section 194(3) of Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita Act 2023, which replaced the Criminal Procedure Code 1973, and would serve to better align police stations with hospitals for the said purpose. The aim is to ensure that victims of crimes and accidents receive immediate medical attention and that medico-legal procedures are conducted promptly and efficiently, minimising procedural delays that can hamper justice delivery, said an official.
