Utility of inquest and medico-legal autopsy in community deaths at tertiary care hospital of India

BACKGROUND: In India, inquest is carried out by police or magistrate depending upon the type of death and medico-legal autopsy is carried out by doctor. In some cases, inquest is sufficient to make out necessary information related to death and medico-legal autopsy can be avoided in such death, but medico-legal autopsy has its own value. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective record-based study was carried out at RVRS Medical College, Bhilwara, Rajasthan, regarding the correlation of inquest and medico-legal autopsy findings in community deaths which were brought dead to hospital in the year 2020 RESULTS: A total of 467 cases of community deaths were brought dead for medico-legal autopsy in the year 2020. As per inquest, 7.28% died due to hanging, 3.85% died due to burns, 3.43% died due to electrocution, 16.27% died due to poisoning, and the same was established via medico-legal autopsy without any difference from inquest report. After inquest, in 3% of cases, the cause of death remained undetermined, while after the medico-legal autopsy, it was only 0.86%. The manner of death was undetermined in 3% of cases after inquest, while after the medico-legal autopsy, only in 0.86% of cases CONCLUSION: We recommend proper training of the investigating officers who conduct inquest to overcome the discrepancies observed between the investigating officer and the doctor in ascertaining the cause of death and manner of death in all unnatural deaths in India. If well-trained person will conduct in depth inquest, then medico-legal autopsies can be avoided in certain types of death.