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Wednesday, 11 November 2026 Judgments, law jobs and study notes, written by a practising advocate
Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 · Chapter XIII: Information To The Police And Their Powers To Investigate

Section 184 BNSS: Medical examination of victim of rape

Corresponding CrPC
Section 164A CrPC

Bare Act text

(1) Where, during the stage when an offence of committing rape or attempt to commit rape is under investigation, it is proposed to get the person of the woman with whom rape is alleged or attempted to have been committed or attempted, examined by a medical expert, such examination shall be conducted by a registered medical practitioner employed in a hospital run by the Government or a local authority and in the absence of such a practitioner, by any other registered medical practitioner, with the consent of such woman or of a person competent to give such consent on her behalf and such woman shall be sent to such registered medical practitioner within twenty-four hours from the time of receiving the information relating to the commission of such offence.

(2) The registered medical practitioner, to whom such woman is sent, shall, without delay, examine her person and prepare a report of his examination giving the following particulars, namely:—

(ii) the age of the woman;

(i) the name and address of the woman and of the person by whom she was brought;

(iii) the description of material taken from the person of the woman for DNA profiling;

(iv) marks of injury, if any, on the person of the woman;

(v) general mental condition of the woman; and

(vi) other material particulars in reasonable detail.

(3) The report shall state precisely the reasons for each conclusion arrived at.

(4) The report shall specifically record that the consent of the woman or of the person competent to give such consent on her behalf to such examination had been obtained.

(5) The exact time of commencement and completion of the examination shall also be noted in the report.

(6) The registered medical practitioner shall, within a period of seven days forward the report to the investigating officer who shall forward it to the Magistrate referred to in section 193 as part of the documents referred to in clause (a) of sub-section (6) of that section.

(7) Nothing in this section shall be construed as rendering lawful any examination without the consent of the woman or of any person competent to give such consent on her behalf.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this section, “examination” and “registered medical practitioner” shall have the same meanings as respectively assigned to them in section 51.

Text as enacted in the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (Act No. 46 of 2023), in force from 1 July 2024. Source: India Code, Government of India.

In simple words

Provides that when the examination of a woman alleged to have been raped or subject to attempted rape is proposed during investigation, it is conducted by a registered medical practitioner in a Government or local authority hospital, or another registered practitioner in its absence, with the woman's consent.

Chapter XIII: Information To The Police And Their Powers To Investigate

  1. 173 Information in cognizable cases
  2. 174 Information as to non-cognizable cases and investigation of such cases
  3. 175 Police officer’s power to investigate cognizable case
  4. 176 Procedure for investigation
  5. 177 Report how submitted
  6. 178 Power to hold investigation or preliminary inquiry
  7. 179 Police officer's power to require attendance of witnesses
  8. 180 Examination of witnesses by police
  9. 181 Statements to police and use thereof
  10. 182 No inducement to be offered
  11. 183 Recording of confessions and statements
  12. 184 Medical examination of victim of rape
  13. 185 Search by police officer
  14. 186 When officer in charge of police station may require another to issue search-warrant
  15. 187 Procedure when investigation cannot be completed in twenty-four hours
  16. 188 Report of investigation by subordinate police officer
  17. 189 Release of accused when evidence deficient
  18. 190 Cases to be sent to Magistrate, when evidence is sufficient
  19. 191 Complainant and witnesses not to be required to accompany police officer and not to be subject to restraint
  20. 192 Diary of proceedings in investigation
  21. 193 Report of police officer on completion of investigation
  22. 194 Police to enquire and report on suicide, etc
  23. 195 Power to summon persons
  24. 196 Inquiry by Magistrate into cause of death
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