The inception of the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology can be traced back to the very beginning of St. John's Medical College. What started as a humble teaching facility has unfolded into one of the pre-eminent medicolegal institutions of Karnataka. The start of medicolegal autopsies in 2001 was the cornerstone of this development. The ambition for evolving into the foremost medicolegal institution took another step forward, when the Post Graduate program was introduced in 2011.

The Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology was created for the singular purpose of providing dedicated service for the medicolegal needs of the community. To make this a reality, the department has inaugurated one of the largest mortuaries in Karnataka, housing six autopsy tables and 12 cold storage facilities. Moreover, the Department of Forensic Medicine also play a vital role in other areas of medical jurisprudence, such as the medical examination of sexual assault survivors, emergency medicine and clinical forensic medicine. These services provide medicolegal guidance to the clinical professionals in their day-to-day treatment scenarios.