Resisting Medical Examination Not Obstruction Under Section 186 IPC: SC The Supreme Court of India ruled on August 12, 2026, that resisting a medical examination does not constitute voluntarily obstructing a public servant under Section 186 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The court quashed criminal proceedings against a woman accused of obstructing a forest department employee in Amravati, overturning a 2025 decision by the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court. The case, which originated from a 2021 FIR, centered on allegations that the woman, then serving as Lekhapal at the Forest Range Office in Paratwada, resisted a medical examination at Achalpur sub-district hospital. The FIR, registered on May 4, 2021, under Sections 186 and 189 IPC and Sections 110, 112, and 117 of the Maharashtra Police Act, alleged that the woman was found intoxicated and created a disturbance. Prosecutors claimed she resisted the medical examination, leading to a scene being created before she was persuaded to undergo the procedure. However, the Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices KV Viswanathan and Arun Palli, rejected the prosecution’s argument, stating that the act did not meet the criteria for Section 186 IPC. The court emphasized that Section 186 IPC applies only when an individual voluntarily prevents or interferes with a public servant performing their lawful duties. The justices noted that the woman ultimately complied with the examination, rendering the alleged obstruction non-voluntary. The bench also dismissed the applicability of Section 189 IPC, which addresses threats to influence official functions, stating that the prosecution failed to establish any such intent. Further, the court scrutinized the use of Sections 110, 112, and 117 of the Maharashtra Police Act.#supreme_court_of_india #nagpur_bench #amravati #justices_kv_viswanathan #justices_arun_palli
