Coroner’s Court views video and photo evidence in Zara Qairina inquest

KOTA KINABALU, Feb 3 — Two video recordings and two photographs were presented as evidence today at the Coroner’s Court during the inquest into the death of Zara Qairina Mahathir. 

The visual evidence was related to the relationship between the deceased and “Student A”, who is one of five students charged with insulting the late Zara Qairina.  

Lawyer Shahlan Jufri submitted the evidence during the cross-examination of Student A’s mother, who then identified Student A and Zara Qairina among the individuals in the videos and photographs. 

The 42-year-old testified that she had never seen these materials before and was only informed by her son that her daughter had once recorded a TikTok video with the deceased. 

Based on her observation of the footage played in court, the witness agreed that all the students in the videos appeared cheerful.

“Student A told me she had made a TikTok video with the late Zara Qairina. That was all. I do not know how many times or how many recordings. All the students look happy and cheerful in the videos,” she said.

The 62nd witness was testifying during the inquest proceedings into Zara Qairina’s death before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan.

The witness further agreed that such a video would typically require the students’ agreement and that it would be difficult to produce such a coordinated recording without everyone’s cooperation. 

However, the witness stressed that the visual material did not fully reflect the circumstances her daughter had experienced, explaining that complaints were based on telephone conversations and information received at the time of the incidents.

The witness also alleged that Zara Qairina had bullied her daughter during the early stages of their schooling by scolding her, making accusations about hostel cleanliness, and that other peers had ostracised her.

Meanwhile, at yesterday’s proceedings, Student A’s mother informed the court that she had received WhatsApp messages from the deceased’s mother, Noraidah Lamat, concerning her daughter’s police statement.

The witness claimed that Noraidah had told her to contact the investigating officer directly and retract her daughter’s statement. 

Zara Qairina, 13, died on July 17 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where she had been admitted a day earlier after being found unconscious near a drain at her school hostel in Papar at 4am.

The Attorney General’s Chambers ordered her remains exhumed for a post-mortem on August 8, before announcing a formal inquest into her death on Auust 13.

The inquest is scheduled to resume at 2pm today to hear the testimony of the 63rd witness. — Bernama