Veteran actor Nana Patekar died after a medical emergency at his Goa residence, prompting Panaji Police to register an unnatural death case under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.
BY PC Bureau
October 8: Goa Police have registered an unnatural death (UD) case following the death of veteran actor Nana Patekar at his residence in Dona Paula. Panaji Police recorded the case under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), with PSI Nitin Naik leading the inquiry. Police have not disclosed further details.
The 75-year-old actor was brought dead to Manipal Hospital in Bambolim from his residence at Ocean Park, Dona Paula, in the early hours of October 8. He had reportedly complained of severe chest pain before being found unconscious at his flat. A medical team rushed to the residence, attempted cardiac resuscitation and subsequently took him to hospital, where doctors declared him dead at 5.20 am.
Dr Shekhar Salkar, head of the oncology department at Manipal Hospital, said doctors continued efforts to revive Patekar for about 45 minutes, but he remained in asystole, a condition in which the heart shows no electrical activity.
“Despite 45 minutes of continuous CPR, he could not be revived. A medico-legal case has been registered, and a post-mortem will be conducted,” Salkar said.
The hospital classified the death as a medico-legal case because Patekar was not a registered patient there. His body was subsequently sent to Goa Medical College in Bambolim for a post-mortem examination.
Patekar was in Goa to attend an event. His last public appearance was on October 4 at the Samraat Club International installation ceremony in Dona Paula.
His last rites were performed in Pune on October 8, with full state honours.
The actor was last seen on screen in Vishal Bhardwaj’s O’ Romeo, released in February 2026. His recent projects also included Subedaar, Housefull 5, Vanvaas and Prakash Jha’s Sankalp.
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#WATCH : Nana Patekar’s Son Malhar Lights His Funeral Pyre
Thousands gathered in Pune on Thursday night to bid a tearful farewell to legendary actor Nana Patekar.
The 75-year-old actor’s last rites were performed with full state honours at his farmhouse in Donje village, as mourners chanted “Nana Amar Rahe.” His son Malhar lit the funeral pyre.
Several prominent political, film and social personalities attended the final farewell, including Jackie Shroff, Makarand Anaspure, Ramdas Athawale, Murlidhar Mohol and Maharashtra Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar.#RIPNanaPatekar #NanaPatekar #NanaPatekarDeath #NanaPatekarNoMore #Bollywood #Pune #RIP
— upuknews (@upuknews1) October 8, 2026
What does an unnatural death case mean?
The registration of a UD case does not mean that police suspect murder or other foul play. It is a preliminary legal inquiry intended to establish the circumstances and cause of a death.
Section 194 of the BNSS, which replaced Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, requires police to conduct an inquiry and prepare a report in specified cases, including suspected suicides, deaths caused by accidents or other persons, and deaths occurring in circumstances that raise reasonable suspicion of an offence.
In practice, sudden deaths at home and cases in which a person is brought dead to hospital may also prompt police and medical authorities to initiate medico-legal procedures.
In Patekar’s case, the UD inquiry followed his death at home and his subsequent arrival at Manipal Hospital without signs of life. The registration of the case is a procedural step and does not, by itself, imply criminal suspicion.
What happens next?
The usual procedure involves an inquest into the circumstances of the death, statements from relevant witnesses and a post-mortem examination to help establish the cause of death.
Investigators may record statements from family members, people present at the residence, those who alerted the medical team and the doctors who attempted resuscitation. The post-mortem findings and other evidence will help determine whether any further investigation is necessary.
If the findings establish a natural cause of death and reveal no indication of an offence, the inquiry can be concluded without a criminal case. If evidence points to suicide, an accident or a possible criminal act, police may take further action under the applicable provisions of law.
The registration of the UD case is therefore a preliminary step in documenting the circumstances of Patekar’s death, not an indication that wrongdoing has been established.
