BNSS-194: Rules for Investigation and Reporting of Suicide or Suspicious Death

Police Department officers conduct investigations into all types of criminal cases and submit investigation reports to the competent court. However, the rules for investigation and reporting in cases of suicide, accident, or suspicious death differ from those for other crimes. Let’s understand the rules for suicide cases.

Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023: Section 194 Explained

“Police to enquire and report on suicide, etc.”

When a police officer at a station receives information about a suicide, murder, death caused by an animal, accident, or suspicious death, they must immediately inform the nearest Executive Magistrate.

The police officer will visit the site of the deceased’s body and conduct a visual investigation. They will examine the body for injuries, wounds, or other marks and clearly record the facts related to the suicide or death in the report.

If a woman who has been married for less than seven years dies by suicide, the police will question her in-laws, and the investigating officer will prepare a report on this.

If the deceased’s body is found in a location far from a postmortem hospital, Section 194(4) of BNSS allows the police officer to take the body to a private hospital (registered with the state government) for postmortem to prevent decomposition.

Note: Only a District Magistrate (DM), Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), or another Executive Magistrate is authorised to review such deaths. The panchnama (record of observations at the scene) prepared by the police department’s investigating officer will also be submitted to them.

Disclaimer: This article has been translated from Hindi to English by Grok, created by xAI. For legal accuracy and confirmation, please consult a registered advocate.