Forensic Medicine
Department of Forensic Medicine
Initially, the subject of Forensic Medicine was known as Medical Jurisprudence. In the early 1960s, postmortem examinations were conducted by the Civil Surgeon at the campus of Assam Medical College & Hospital (AMCH). A few Civil Surgeons from the State Health Services, fondly nicknamed as ‘Peha’ due to their traditional rural Assamese attire, were responsible for taking undergraduate classes in Medical Jurisprudence at AMCH.
One notable figure from this period was Dr. Honi Bora, the then Civil Surgeon (now referred to as Joint Director of the district), who used to conduct classes on Medical Jurisprudence. The Assam-type building located in front of the present Pediatrics Department served as the office and demonstration classroom. During that time, all autopsies for the district were performed at the postmortem hall located behind the old Pathology Museum.
Significant Milestones
2010: Under the leadership of Dr. S.I. Barbhuyan, two MD seats in Forensic Medicine were granted by the Medical Council of India (MCI) for the first time. The then Principal of AMCH, Dr. Pranab Baruah, played a key role in initiating the MD course. Dr. Renuka Rongpharpi, the first postgraduate student, is now the Head of the Department.
2011: The department was shifted from its previous location near the Central Library (now housing the MRD office) to the newly constructed Basic Science Building, again under the Headship of Dr. S.I. Barbhuyan.
2012: A microtome was installed, leading to the establishment of a Histopathology Unit within the department.
2013: The first MD examination in Forensic Medicine was conducted. The MCI inspection of the examination was carried out by Dr. S. Batabroyal.
2013: The MD course in Forensic Medicine at Assam Medical College & Hospital received official recognition from the MCI.
2016: With the initiative of the Department of Forensic Medicine, the Medical College & Hospital Medico-Legal Society of Assam organized a National-level Conference at AMCH for the first time.
Ex- Professor and Heads of the department of Forensic Medicine
| Sl No | Name | Photo |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dr. Naleswar Sonowal – Associate Professor (06.03.1984) |  |
| 2 | Dr. Manobendra Gogoi – From 1982, Professor (07.05.1984–30.04.1993), Adhoc (11.04.2006–10.04.2008) |  |
| 3 | Dr. Homewswar Sharma |  |
| 4 | Dr. Bisombar Kumar Bora |  |
| 5 | Dr. B.C. Roy Medhi – Professor (25.09.2000–24.09.2003) |  |
| 6 | Dr. H.K. Mahanta | |
| 7 | Dr. Rupak Kumar Gogoi |  |
| 8 | Dr. S. I. Barbhuyan | |
| 9 | Dr. Putul Mahanta |  |
Present Faculties -
| Sl. No. | Name | Designation | Qualification & Reg. No. | Photo | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dr. R. Rongpharpi | Professor & Head | DFM, MD Reg. No. 16429 (AMC) | renukarongpharpi@gmail.com |  |
| 2 | Dr. S. J. Deka | Professor | MD | — |  |
| 3 | Dr. N. Pegu | Associate Professor | MD Reg. No. 19981 (AMC) | drnandinipegu.nexus@gmail.com |  |
| 4 | Dr. R. U. Ahmed | Associate Professor | MD Reg. No. 18838 (AMC) | raihan.hmd@gmail.com |  |
| 5 | Dr. S. Phukan | Assistant Professor | MD Reg. No. 19992 (AMC) | drswaraj13@gmail.com |  |
| 6 | Dr. Nibedita Shyam | Senior Medical Officer | — | — |
Non-Faculty/Non-Teaching Staff
| Sl No | Name | Designation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jyoti Rekha Buragohain | Lab Technician |
| 2 | Dibash Deka | Dental Mechanic |
| 3 | Abhijit Das | LDA |
| 4 | Probin Gogoi | Peon |
| 5 | Mridul Gogoi | Peon |
| 6 | Pranjal Baruah | Grade IV (MTS) |
| 7 | Rina Gogoi | Aya |
| 8 | Santosh Basfor | Cleaner |
| 9 | Asish Basfor | Cleaner (Mortuary) |
| 10 | Anil Basfor | Cleaner (Mortuary) |
| 11 | Arjun Basfor | Cleaner (Mortuary) |
| 12 | Suraj Basfor | Cleaner (Mortuary) |
| 13 | Dina Basfor | Cleaner (Mortuary) |
| 14 | Ramesh Basfor | Cleaner (Mortuary) |
Academic Activities:
On 12th May, 2024, National Forensic Medicine Day was celebrated for the first time in the Department of Forensic Medicine. To mark the occasion, a Forensic Medicine Quiz Competition was organized for undergraduate and postgraduate students.
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12thMay, 2024 National Forensic Medicine Day |
Publications:
Dr. S. J. Deka, Professor
Anti-Vibrio and Antioxidant Properties of Two Weeds: Euphorbia serpens and Amaranthus viridis, Research Journal of Medicinal Plant 9(4): 170–178, 2015. ISSN: 1819-3455 / DOI: 10.3923/rjmp.2015.170.178. © 2015 Academic Journals Inc. (Co-PI)
Effect of Extraction Temperature on Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Properties of Assam Tea, International Journal of Phytomedicine 6 (2014): 225–231. http://www.arjournals.org/index.php/ijpm/index (Co-PI)
Phytochemical Analysis, Stability and Antimicrobial Activity of Eighteen Medicinal Plants Studied Against Five Multi-drug Resistant Human Pathogens, Manuscript No. JEP_2019_1629 (Research Paper – under study)
Knowledge and Attitudes amongst Medical Students on Health Research and Scientific Publications, Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, April–June 2021, Vol. 15, No. 2, p. 395
Medical Students' Knowledge about Research Methodology and Impact of Research Workshops, IJHRMLP, Vol. 05, No. 02, July 2019. ISSN: 2394–806X (Print), 2454–5139 (Electronic)
Dr. N. Pegu, Associate Professor
Study of Age Estimation from Sternum: An Institution Based Analysis, European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine, ISSN: 2515–8260, Vol. 9, Issue 5, Summer 2022
Retrospective Analysis of Blunt Abdominal Injuries in Forensic Autopsies at a Tertiary Care Centre, European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine, ISSN: 2515–8260, Vol. 9, Issue 7, Summer 2022
Frequency of Pesticide Poisoning and Autopsy Findings, Indian Journal of Applied Research, Vol. 12, Issue 04, April 2022, ISSN: 2249-555X, DOI: 10.36/06/Ijai
Dr. Raihan Uddin Ahmed, Associate Professor
A Five Years Study on Poisoning Cases Brought for Medico-legal Autopsy in a Tertiary Care Centre of Northeast India, J Ind. Soc. Toxicolo 2023; 19(2):7–12
Anthropometric Measurements as a Surrogate Marker in Low Birth Weight Infants: A Cross-sectional Study, Indian Journal of Neonatal Medicine & Research (IJNMR), Accepted for Publication, July 2024, Vol. 13, Issue 3
Profile of Medico Legal Autopsies at Tezpur Medical College & Hospital, Assam: A One Year Retrospective Study, Medicolegal Update, 2020 Oct; 20(4):427
A Five Years Retrospective Study of Incidental Findings in Medico-Legal Autopsies, Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, 2020 Oct 29; 14(4):3360–3364
A Five Years Retrospective Study of Head Trauma Cases Showing the Rarity of Multiple Site Extradural Haematoma, Journal of Indian Academy of Forensic Medicine, 2016; 38(2):185–187
Courses Run in the Department:
MD Forensic Medicine
PG Seats Available:
3 Seats
OPD & Indoor Services:
Post Mortem Examinations
Sexual Crime Examinations
DNA Sample Collection Facilities
Age Estimation
Facilities in the Department:
Laboratories
Museum
DNA Sample Collection Facilities
Mortuary
Sex Crime Examination Room