Inquiry by Magistrate into cause of death.

What this section does

Where a case involves suicide by a woman or death of a woman within seven years of marriage under suspicious circumstances, the nearest empowered Magistrate shall hold an inquiry into the cause of death; in other cases under section 194(1), such a Magistrate may hold such an inquiry in addition to or instead of the police investigation, with all powers of an inquiry into an offence. Where any person dies, disappears, or rape is alleged while in police or court-authorised custody, a Magistrate within whose local jurisdiction the offence occurred must hold an inquiry in addition to the police investigation. The Magistrate or police officer holding such inquiry must forward the body to the nearest Civil Surgeon or qualified medical person within twenty-four hours of death unless not possible for recorded reasons.

AI-generated plain-language summary. For the binding statutory text, see India Code (official).

Procedure at a glance

Key actors

Magistrate · Police officer · Civil Surgeon · Relatives of deceased

Time limit

Body to be forwarded to Civil Surgeon or qualified medical person within twenty-four hours of death

Derived from CrPC s.176.