SHAH ALAM – The Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) has confirmed the need to exhume the body of Zara Qairina Mahathir to allow a post-mortem to be carried out on the remains of the 13-year-old student.
In a statement, the AGC said the decision was made after reviewing the full preliminary investigation report submitted by the Royal Malaysia Police regarding the teenager’s death.
“After reviewing the full preliminary investigation report submitted by the police on the death of Zara Qairina, the AGC is of the view that further investigations are necessary to ensure all aspects of the case are thoroughly examined.
“Accordingly, the full preliminary investigation report has been returned to the police with several directives, including the need to exhume the body of Zara Qairina to enable a post-mortem to be conducted on the remains,” the statement said on Friday.
The AGC said this step aimed to ensure police obtain additional information and evidence needed to complete the investigation into Zara Qairina’s death.
Earlier, the media reported that the victim’s family had lodged an additional police report on July 30 at the Sipitang Police Station, including a request for Zara’s grave to be exhumed to facilitate an inquest.
This came after it was revealed by lawyers Hamid Ismail and Shahlan Jufri, representing the victim’s mother, Noraidah Lamat, 45, that no post-mortem had been conducted on the remains of the late Zara Qairina, 13, after she was pronounced dead on July 17.
On Wednesday, the AGC returned the preliminary investigation report to the police to complete the probe into the teenager’s death.
Zara Qairina was reported to have fallen from the third floor of a religious school dormitory building in Papar on July 16, before being pronounced dead the following day at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital (HQEI).