KOTA KINABALU: Two video recordings and two photographs were presented as evidence on Tuesday (Feb 3) at the Coroner’s Court during the inquest into the death of Zara Qairina Mahathir.
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The visual materials pertain to the relationship between the deceased and Student A, 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 identified both Student A and Zara Qairina as appearing in the videos and photographs.
The 42-year-old witness said she had never seen the materials before and only knew that her daughter had recorded a TikTok video with the deceased.
“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 testimony was delivered during the inquest proceedings presided over by Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan, with the witness being the 62nd called.
She added that such a video would normally require the students’ consent and that producing a coordinated recording without everyone’s cooperation would be difficult.
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However, the witness emphasised that the visual materials did not fully reflect her daughter’s experiences, noting that complaints were based on telephone conversations and other information received at the time of the incidents.
She also alleged that Zara Qairina had bullied her daughter during the early stages of school, scolding her, criticising hostel cleanliness, and causing her to be ostracised by peers.
Separately, during Monday’s (Feb 2) proceedings, Student A’s mother informed the court that she received WhatsApp messages from the deceased’s mother, Noraidah Lamat, regarding her daughter’s police statement. The witness claimed that Noraidah asked her to contact the investigating officer directly and retract the statement.
Zara Qairina, 13, passed away on July 17 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital after being found unconscious near a drain at her school hostel in Papar at 4 a.m. the day before.
Her remains were exhumed on Aug 8 for a post-mortem, following an order by the Attorney General’s Chambers, before a formal inquest was announced on Aug 13.
The inquest was scheduled to resume at 2 p.m. on Tuesday (Feb 3) to hear the testimony of the 63rd witness.
-BERNAMA
-Thestar