Raj-Taj and Modi the life & times of Dr. J. P. Modi (1875–1954) (A leaf in the history of forensic medicine in India)

Narrating the history of a bygone era from such reluctant material as is available is difficult and to perceive the events, institutions, personalities and the powers that be, would even be more difficult. This article aims to reconstruct the history that is 100 years old. The content may not be exhaustive due to limited scope of the article to be published in a journal. Per say, this is an effort to reconstruct the same, highlighting the events that have occurred during the times of late Rai Bahadur Dr. J. P. Modi a great teacher, much revered medico legist and pioneering author of a text book, “Modi's Medical Jurisprudence and Toxicology”, published in 1920; nearly hundred years ago. Through this text book, he has immortalized himself. His legacy is the real life stories of crime and passion that represent the episodes of a bygone era. Modi appears to have joined Government service in the earls-while United Provinces, around 1906 at Agra, the Seat of the Taj. His first case was reported from Hardoi in 1906. He retired from service in1934.[1] This period was the zenith of the British Raj.

1. To remember and pay homage to Dr. Modi; 2. Narrating history of forensic medicine of his time; 3. To connect the past with the present

1. 1st and 16nth editions of his text book-1920, 1967; 2. Material available on the internet; 3. standing orders for the year 1896 of the civil medical department, Government of Madras.