CrPC 53 — Examination of accused by medical practitioner at the request of police officer

Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973

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  a  police officer not below the rank of sub-inspector, 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.

[Explanation.—In this section and in sections 53A and 54,—
(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
as defined in clause (h) of section 2 of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 (102 of 1956) and whose name has been entered in a State Medical Register.]

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