It is not reqd to report attempted suicide to police as per law.
Section 309 IPC is not included in Section 39 CrPC, hence it is not required as per law to report attempted suicide.
It is true that the doctor cannot determine manner of death. That is why every death is to be reported (in attempted suicide no death is occurring). However if a person falls down while walking – Do we prepare an MLC … Is there a possibility that subsequently an allegation may be made that he was pushed…
Pt Parmanand Kataria v/s UOI (1990)– In this case the supreme case has not said that all MLC cases are to be reported… A case was filed in Supreme court and it was decided that it was the duty of the doctor to save every life and that no provision of law comes in between that duty of doctor. In this case a report was filed by DGHS stating that the doctor is reqd to inform all MLC cases to duty constable. This is the reason why in some books it was mentioned that only government doctor is reqd to report the attempted suicide cases… However it was not a decision of the supreme court…
In 1995 Bombay high court (Dr. Satyasaheel Nandlal Naik vs State Of Maharashtra And Another on 9 November, 1995) has reiterated that Penal provisions are to be construed strictly. Here the court emphasises that though there may be a moral duty for every citizen to inform all MLC cases but it is not a legal duty… and the doctor cannot be punished for not informing…
Supreme court judgements are considered law… high court cannont overrule the judgement of supreme court… If it was legally reqd for the doctor to inform such MLC cases high court would not have given such a judgement.
Doctors routinely inform because it has become a convention… What is practiced by convention need not be law!