Unable to read doctors' handwriting, court seeks printed medico legal reports
Lucknow Nov 3 : Fed up of summoning doctors to decipher medico legal reports, the Lucknow bench of Allahabad high court has ordered that computer printed reports be provided along with the original handwritten reports.
Making the observation on Friday, a division bench of justice Ajai Lamba and justice D K Singh said the unreadable hand written reports, produced before the courts in every other case, act as a hindrance in effective adjudication.
However, the printed report will have to be signed by the author as true copy of the original or by some other authorised signatory, after its comparison with the original, the court said.
It would also form part of police report at the time of conclusion of the investigation, the court added.
Despite imposing costs to be recovered from the salary of a number of doctors, they have not been recording medico legal reports/injury reports and post-mortem reports in readable and clear handwriting, the bench said.
Hence in every other case the court has to summon the doctor for reading out the medico legal reports for the benefit of effective adjudication, it added.
"Summoning a doctor simply for reading the report authored by him for bad handwriting does not make administrative sense," the court said while disposing of a writ petition challenging a First Information Report.
"We hereby take judicial notice of the fact that a doctor in a government medical facility is required to examine a large number of patients in a day."
"If for every hearing in revision jurisdiction, bail jurisdiction before the Court of Magistrate, Court of Sessions or the High Court or in appellate jurisdiction, government medical practitioner is required to appear, the work of the doctor in the hospital shall suffer and a large number of patients would be deprived of the services of such medical specialist," the court said.
Reiterating that the relevance of medico legal reports in cases of injury, homicide or suicide is enormous, the bench said, "The medical reports, however, are written in such shabby handwriting that they are not readable and decipherable by advocates or Judges."
The bench had earlier directed the medical department that the doctors must prepare legible medical reports with clear depictions and on HC's directions the DG (Medical and Health Services) had also issued a circular on November 8, 2012 but to no avail.
In recent days, the bench summoned many doctors for reading the illegible reports and later imposed cost upon them also so that the doctors should mend their ways but the situation did not improve.
Hearing the petition moved by one Arjun Singh, the court had to yet again summon a doctor from Amethi Community Health Centre (CHC) for reading the injury report.
Coaxed with the exercise to summon the doctor, the bench directed the concerned state authorities to avail computers and printers for preparing typed copy of every original report.
The bench has also summoned the compliance report.
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Metro ridership in Haryana sees over 13 pc rise in 2025-26
Chandigarh (PTI): Haryana's urban transit system witnessed a strong growth in 2025-26, with metro ridership registering a robust 13.55 per cent increase, the state government said in a statement on Thursday.
The progress was reviewed in the 64th board meeting of Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation (HMRTC) chaired by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi.
Between April 2025 and February 2026, the metro network recorded over 1.74 crore passengers, compared to 1.53 crore in the corresponding period the previous year.
July recorded the highest monthly growth at 22.93 per cent, while all months showed consistent positive trends.
Financial performance has also remained strong, with fare revenue rising 12.64 per cent till January 2026, the statement said.
Non-fare revenue surged by 108 per cent, driven by effective monetisation of station spaces, advertisements and commercial activities, resulting in an operating surplus for Rapid Metro.
Further initiatives, including the auction of station naming rights and additional advertisement sites, are expected to strengthen HMRTC's financial position, the statement said.
Appreciating the performance, Rastogi stated that the consistent rise in ridership and revenue reflects the success of Haryana's integrated transport strategy, rising commuter confidence and a clear shift towards public transport.
HMRTC Managing Director Chander Shekhar Khare said that, alongside operational gains, the state is making steady progress on an ambitious pipeline of metro and regional transit projects.
Metro connectivity from Gurugram Sector 56 to Panchgaon is under active consideration, with Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited studying the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and layout plan, and finalising a depot location in Sector 36A near Sihi village, he said.
The Gurugram-Faridabad Namo Bharat corridor has achieved a key milestone, with alignment and station locations finalised and approved by the Haryana government. The National Capital Region Transport Corporation is preparing the DPR, he added.
Similarly, the Delhi-Kundli metro extension is proposed to be placed before the Haryana Cabinet for approval.
The 136.3-kilometre Delhi-Panipat-Karnal RRTS Corridor has also progressed, with the revised DPR submitted for financial concurrence ahead of Haryana Cabinet consideration.
Within Gurugram, DPR preparation has been approved for key intra-city corridors, including the 17.09-kilometre Bhondsi-Subhash Chowk-Rajeev Chowk-Sohna Chowk Railway Station corridor, enhancing connectivity along Sohna Road, Khare said.
