Proper handling and maintenance of patient’s /deceased person’s medical records is an integral part of medical and medico legal practice. This is the least bothered and most neglected section in medical practice, especially in developing countries like India. Medical records have proven of great help in medico legal matters and in cases of negligence suits filed against the medical practitioner. Properly kept medical records can save the doctor from many unpleasant situations. Indian law is not very clear about the facts of medical records. There are some guidelines issued by recognised professional bodies regarding them. So it is must for a medical and medico legal practitioners to know about the facts of medical and legal aspects of maintaining the patient’s records for their own benefits, as ignorance is not always bliss.

Key words: Medical records, medical practitioner, medico legal expert, record keeping, patient