Inquest Report And Its Evidentiary Value

Archana Sharma, LLM, Chanakya National Law University, Patna

ABSTRACT

According to the law of crimes, the prosecution must present evidence that proves the accused is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. In order to prevent any of the steps leading to the finding of the accused guilt from being covered up and to ensure that the State apparatus operates effectively, a number of procedural safeguards are built into the process leading up to the trial. The inquest report is created in accordance with the CrPC as a record of crime, which, despite not being a substantial piece of evidence, is a crucial foundation for figuring out when the offense was committed. The current study sheds light on the inquest report clause found in Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which directs police to investigate and report any suicide cases. This is limited to determining the apparent cause of a person's death. This article clarifies how to determine whether a death was homicidal, suicide, or caused by an animal in a specific circumstance. Persons familiar with the facts of the case are summoned and interrogated pursuant to Section 175 of the CrPC for this very limited purpose. It is not required to include the specifics of the overt acts in the inquest report.

Keywords: Inquest, Panchnama, Right to Know, Dowry Deaths, Unnatural Deaths