BNSS 51 — Examination of accused by medical practitioner at request of police officer.

Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023

Statutory text

(1)  When  a
person is arrested on a charge of committing an offence of such a nature and alleged to have been committed
under such circumstances that there are reasonable grounds for believing that an examination of his person
will  afford  evidence  as  to  the  commission  of  an  offence,  it  shall  be  lawful  for  a  registered  medical
practitioner, acting at the request of any police officer, and for any person acting in good faith in his aid
and under his direction, to make such an examination of the person arrested as is reasonably necessary in
order to ascertain the facts which may afford such evidence, and to use such force as is reasonably necessary
for that purpose.
(2)  Whenever the  person  of  a  female  is  to  be  examined  under  this  section, the  examination  shall  be
made only by, or under the supervision of, a female registered medical practitioner.
(3) The registered medical practitioner shall, without any delay, forward the examination report to the
investigating officer.
Explanation.—In this section and sections 52 and 53,—
(a) “examination” shall include the examination of blood, blood stains, semen, swabs in case of sexual
offences,  sputum  and  sweat,  hair  samples  and  finger  nail  clippings  by  the  use  of  modern  and  scientific
techniques including DNA profiling and such other tests which the registered medical practitioner thinks
necessary in a particular case;
(b) “registered  medical  practitioner” means  a  medical  practitioner  who  possesses  any  medical
qualification recognised under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 (30 of 2019) and whose name
has been entered in the National Medical Register or a State Medical Register under that Act.

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