The Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, headed by Dr. Dharmesh Patel, offers 11 postgraduate seats annually and primarily teaches forensic medicine to MBBS, MD and Ph.D. students at B. J. Medical College, Ahmedabad. Beyond classroom teaching, the department places strong emphasis on professionalism, medical ethics and the legal aspects of medical practice — preparing future doctors not only for clinical work but for the medico-legal responsibilities that accompany it.

The department conducts one of the highest volumes of medico-legal autopsies in Gujarat and is recognised for its expertise in forensic pathology, toxicology and medico-legal reporting. Faculty members handle complex and high-profile cases — including murders, sexual offences, firearm deaths, custodial deaths, and bodies recovered in advanced stages of decomposition or skeletonisation — and provide expert testimony in courts of law on behalf of the Government to help resolve complex legal matters through medical and scientific reasoning.

A major area of public service is disaster response and mass-casualty identification. The department has played a pivotal role in dignified management of the deceased during plane crashes, riots, the COVID-19 pandemic and other mass-casualty incidents, while maintaining strict legal compliance. It also offers embalming services to facilitate transportation of the deceased at the request of relatives, and supports tissue donation by motivating families to consent to retrieval of heart valves, vessels and other tissues for transplantation.

The department conducts medico-legal training programmes for judicial officers, judges, doctors, lawyers, and medical and forensic science students, and contributes to advancements in the field through research, education, CMEs, workshops and conferences. In doing so, it serves as a vital bridge between the medical and legal systems of the state.