This department was started in 1946, and prior to that the functions were covered by the staff of the department of pathology. The separate block that currently houses the department was initiated in 2008.
In addition to the teaching of undergraduate and postgraduate students, this department serves an important role in the medicolegal field, training medical and polic officers, conducting post mortem examinations, and working closely with the judiciary in the examination of human remains, and providing expert witness testimony on a multitude of forensic issues.