Allahabad HC Directs NIC to Give Magistrates Direct Access to MedLEaPR and e-Forensic Data via ICJS
Justice Arun Kumar Singh Deshwal directed NIC's Deputy Director General to integrate MedLEaPR and forensic lab data into CIS so trial Magistrates can access records directly, while also calling for hospital sensitisation and Hindi-language CIS outputs.
A bail application before the Allahabad High Court became the occasion for a series of directions on the digital integration of criminal justice records in Uttar Pradesh. Justice Arun Kumar Singh Deshwal, sitting singly in Court No. 66, passed an order on 19 August 2026 in Aatish Alias Krishnkant v. State of U.P. (Criminal Misc. Bail Application No. 24645 of 2026), directing Sri Shashi Kant Sharma, Deputy Director General, NIC, New Delhi, to make the necessary arrangements so that the concerned court or Magistrate has direct access to data available on MedLEaPR and the e-forensic laboratory through the Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS). The directions follow a compliance hearing tied to an earlier order dated 06.08.2026, and the matter has been listed next on 17 September 2026.
What Brought NIC and U.P. Police Before the Court
On 06.08.2026, the court had sought assurances from the Additional Director General (Technical), U.P. Police and Sri Shashi Kant Sharma, Deputy Director General, NIC, New Delhi. Both had assured the court that within ten days the chargesheet along with the case diary would be available on the Court Information System (CIS) to the concerned Magistrate. The matter was accordingly posted for 19 August 2026 to verify compliance.
On the compliance date, Sri Sharma and the ADJ Technical, U.P. reported that the API had been shared with CIS and that the entire case diary is now available along with the final police report to the concerned court on CIS. They also informed the court that a feature for verification of the chargesheet by the Circle Officer would be added by the next date of listing.
The MedLEaPR Gap: Hospitals Not Uploading Reports
Sri Sharma further informed the court that MedLEaPR has already been integrated with CCTNS, enabling police to directly view postmortem reports and other medical reports once uploaded by the hospital. The problem, as placed before the court, is that hospitals are not consistently uploading medico-legal reports, including postmortem reports, onto MedLEaPR.
To address this, Sri Sharma and the ADJ Technical, U.P. assured the court that they would conduct a sensitisation programme with the assistance of the Principal Secretary (Health), U.P. so that all medico-legal reports including postmortem reports are uploaded on MedLEaPR.
The court took note of a precedent from the Indore Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court: the order dated 10.04.2026 in Mohamad Atik v. State of Madhya Pradesh (Misc. Criminal Case No. 999 of 2026) had already directed implementation of ICJS to the extent of sharing MedLEaPR and forensic department data with concerned courts. Sri Sharma informed the Allahabad High Court that this had been implemented pursuant to that direction and offered to extend the same in U.P. if directed.
Directions Issued by the Court
Justice Deshwal issued the following specific directions on 19 August 2026:
Sri Shashi Kant Sharma, Deputy Director General, NIC, New Delhi is directed to make necessary arrangement so that the concerned court or Magistrate may have direct access to the data available on MedLEaPR and the e-forensic laboratory.
The Principal Secretary (Health), U.P. and the Director General of Police, U.P., Lucknow are directed to cooperate with NIC for effective implementation of ICJS so that the data on MedLEaPR and forensic science laboratory can be directly accessed by the concerned court or Magistrate.
The CPC, High Court, Allahabad is directed to take required permission with the e-Committee so that a feature of taking cognizance and registering a case becomes available on CIS at the time of consuming the e-chargesheet. This additional feature was suggested by Sri Sharma as a step that could be added if the e-Committee permits.
Sri Sharma is also requested to implement the direction of this court as well as the recent direction of the Supreme Court in Union of India v. Chidiebere Kingsley Nawchara & Ors. (SLP (Crl.) No. 14185 of 2025, decided on 17.08.2026) regarding electronic verification of sureties.
Sri Sharma is further directed to inform the court whether summons and warrants generated on CIS can be generated in the Hindi language for Uttar Pradesh.
Compliance Mechanism and Next Steps
The Registrar (Compliance) has been directed to communicate this order to Sri Shashi Kant Sharma, Deputy Director General, NIC, New Delhi; the Additional Director General (Technical), U.P. Police; the Director General of Police, U.P.; and the Principal Secretary (Health), U.P. for necessary compliance.
On the next date of listing, 17 September 2026 at 10:00 am, Sri Sharma and the ADJ Technical, U.P. are requested to appear before the court through video conferencing and apprise the court about the progress made in the implementation of ICJS.
Order
The matter in Criminal Misc. Bail Application No. 24645 of 2026 has been listed as fresh on 17 September 2026 at 10:00 am before Court No. 66. The order was passed on 19 August 2026 by Justice Arun Kumar Singh Deshwal of the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad.