Under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023, a police inquest into the death of a person is conducted by:
- A Coroner appointed for the district
- B Executive Magistrate empowered by the State Government
- C Officer in charge of the police station of the area where the body is found ✓
- D Civil Surgeon of the district hospital
Correct answer: C. Officer in charge of the police station of the area where the body is found
Explanation
BNSS Section 194, corresponding to CrPC Section 174, directs the officer in charge of the nearest police station to investigate apparent unnatural deaths and draw up a report of the causes, called the inquest report or panchnama. The body is then sent for postmortem where required. The coroner system, inherited from British law, has been abolished in India, so option A describes a defunct office. The Magistrate conducts a separate, superior inquest only in specified circumstances.
Reference: The Essentials of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, 35th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.