Immediate Action by Police Officer

• When the officer in charge of a police station or a specially empowered police officer receives information about a death under suspicious or unnatural circumstances, they must:
  • Immediately inform the nearest Executive Magistrate empowered to hold inquests.
  • Proceed to the location of the deceased’s body, unless directed otherwise by State Government rules or orders from the District or Sub-Divisional Magistrate.
  • Conduct an investigation in the presence of at least two respectable local residents.
  • Prepare a report detailing:
    • The apparent cause of death.
    • Any visible wounds, fractures, bruises, or other injuries on the body.
    • The manner or weapon/instrument (if any) by which such injuries appear to have been inflicted.

Submission of Report

• The report shall be signed by the investigating officer and the witnesses present.
• It shall be immediately forwarded to the District Magistrate or the Sub-Divisional Magistrate.

Special Cases Requiring Post-Mortem Examination

• If any of the following conditions apply, the body must be sent for medical examination to the nearest Civil Surgeon or a qualified medical officer appointed by the State Government, provided it can be done without excessive decomposition:
  • Suicide by a woman within seven years of marriage.
  • Suspicious death of a woman within seven years of marriage, suggesting an offence was committed.
  • Death of a woman within seven years of marriage where a relative has requested an investigation.
  • Uncertainty regarding the cause of death.
  • Any other reason deemed necessary by the police officer.

Authorities Empowered to Hold Inquests

• The following Magistrates are authorized to conduct inquests:
  • District Magistrate
  • Sub-Divisional Magistrate
  • Any Executive Magistrate specially empowered by the State Government or the District Magistrate