Suicide is defined as a deliberate act to end one's life. To classify a death as suicides in india, it must meet specific criteria according to the National Crime Records Bureau. These criteria include an unnatural death, self-inflicted intent, and a discernible reason for ending one's life.
If a death is deemed unusual, law enforcement is summoned, and they initiate an Initial Information Report (FIR). This report is then forwarded to a presiding judge, such as an additional district judge or police commissioner, who takes charge of the entire inquiry. This process is outlined in Article 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which governs the questioning and reporting of suicides, elucidated by Mumbai High Court Attorney Chinmay Jawale.
An Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from Maharashtra explained that when a body is discovered, the police launch an investigation into the cause of death. Initially, they record their initial observations in front of witnesses through a procedure called "panchama point." Subsequently, the body is transported to a government facility, where a government doctor conducts a detailed examination in the presence of witnesses and records a Panchnama. The doctor performs an autopsy to ascertain the cause of death, and if any suspicious findings arise, internal organs, often referred to as "Guts," are sent to the lab for analysis. The police investigation then commences, incorporating findings from the autopsy report into their case files.
