Under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023, which section mandates that a First Class Magistrate must inquire into the cause of death when a person dies in the custody of police?

• A Section 176(1A) BNSS ✓
• B Section 174 BNSS
• C Section 23 BNSS
• D Section 357 BNSS

Explanation

Section 176(1A) of the BNSS 2023 (corresponding to the erstwhile Section 176(1A) CrPC 1973) mandates a mandatory inquiry by a Judicial Magistrate of the first class (or Metropolitan Magistrate) in cases of custodial death — death in police custody, judicial custody, or other custody. This provision ensures judicial oversight independent of the investigating police agency. Section 174 BNSS relates to police inquiries into unnatural deaths generally, but not specifically the mandatory magistrate inquiry in custodial deaths.

Reference: The Essentials of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology (Narayan Reddy), 34th ed.

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Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.