Mumbai: Maharashtra government has announced plans to introduce non-invasive digital autopsies in a major overhaul of the state’s postmortem services, with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis saying the move is aimed at modernising forensic investigations, while reducing dependence on conventional surgical autopsies.Replying to a question in the legislative council on Wednesday, Fadnavis said the government was committed to strengthening government hospitals and postmortem centres across the state through technology-driven reforms. The issue was raised by BJP MLC Chitra Wagh, who highlighted vacancies and inadequate infrastructure at postmortem facilities.Fadnavis acknowledged that filling all vacant posts within 90 days was not technically feasible but said the government had launched a time-bound recruitment drive and was moving swiftly to address staff shortages.The chief minister said Maharashtra would introduce the non-invasive autopsy technique, already used in several countries, under which advanced imaging technology is used to examine bodies without conventional dissection. The system, based on imaging like a PET scan, will first be introduced on a pilot basis at Sir J J Hospital in Byculla and King Edward Memorial Hospital in Parel. Tenders for the project have already been floated.If the pilot proves to be successful, the technology will be expanded to major forensic centres across Maharashtra. According to Fadnavis, the new system could allow nearly 90% of postmortem examinations to be conducted without surgical incisions, with only around 10% of complex or criminal cases requiring conventional autopsies. He said this would significantly reduce the time and manpower required for forensic examinations.Later in the discussion, MLC Pragya Satav raised the issue of vacancies, including the absence of an autopsy surgeon, at the sub-district hospital in Kalamnuri. Fadnavis assured the House that staff would be deployed there on priority.He also informed the council that 10,905 postmortem examinations had been conducted across Maharashtra until May 2026. The government, he said, would review infrastructure at all 533 postmortem centres and bridge existing gaps. He added that forensic laboratories would prioritise medico-legal cases involving preserved viscera and use modern technology to speed up testing and verification of forensic samples.
