What is an Inquest? Write about types of Inquest?

Definition: An inquest is a legal inquiry into the circumstances and cause of death.

in which circumstances it is conducted: it is conducted in cases of sudden, suspicious, or unnatural deaths.

Types of Inquest: 1. Police Inquest.
                             2. Magistrate's Inquest.
                             3. Coroner's Inquest.
                             4. Medical Examiner's Inquest.
            Police and Magistrate's Inquest are commonly held in India.
   
   1. Police Inquest: 

• conducted by an officer in charge of a police station (sec. 174 Cr.P.C).
• the police officer making the inquest is known as Investigating Officer (IO).
• on receipt of information of an unnatural death, the police officer informs the nearest magistrate, and proceeds to the the place of death.
• IO then conducts an inquest in the presence of two or more respectable inhabitants of the neighbourhood (panchas).
• after the necessary investigation, a report is drawn up on the apparent cause of death as judged by the state of the body,circumstancial evidence, etc. This document is called Panchanama or Inquest Report.
• if any foul play or unnatural death is suspected, the police officer forwards the body for postmortem examination to the nearest medical officer, along with a written request and a copy of the panchanama. 

   2. Magistrate's Inquest:

• conducted by a District Magistrate(Collector/Deputy Commissioner), Sub-divisional Magistrate(RDO), Tahsildar or any other executive magistrate.
• done in cases of   a) Dowry death. 
•                              b) Death of a convict in prison   
•                              c)  Death of a person in police custody    
•                              d) Death of a person as a result of police firing    
•                              e) Death in psychiatric hospital     
•                              f) Exhumation.  
• in any case of death, a Magistrate may conduct an inquest, instead of or in addition to the police inquest (sec. 176 Cr.P.C).

     3. Coroner's Inquest:        

• conducted by a coroner who is either a medical professional with legal qualifications, or a graduate in law.  
• this system of inquest does not exist anywhere in India.
• it is prevalent method of inquiry in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and some states of the USA.
• coroner conducts inquest in all unnatural and suspicious deaths.

    4. Medical Examiner's Inquest:

• type of inquest conducted in most of the states of USA, Japan.
• all sudden, unexpected, or unnatural deaths are analysed by a medical examiner who is a forensic pathologist.
• as the doctor visits the scene of crime and conducts the inquest it is superior to all other types of inquest.