Police have confirmed the arrest of a 34-year-old local woman in connection with social media posts referencing 13-year-old schoolgirl Zara Qairina being allegedly put inside a washing machine. The suspect was apprehended in Rawang, Selangor, and authorities have seized her phone under the 1948 Sedition Act and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for investigation.
Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk M. Kumar stated that the suspect’s devices have been sent for forensic analysis, with further action pending the report.
So far, police have opened 15 investigation files regarding Zara’s fall and summoned 82 witnesses, including students, teachers, doctors, family members, and other relevant parties. Officers from the Sexual Crimes, Child Abuse, and Domestic Violence Investigation Division (D11) have also provided counseling to 124 students at the school to prevent similar tragedies.
Zara, a 13-year-old Form One student of Kadazan descent, reportedly could not cope with bullying by senior students. She was found unconscious in a drainage canal on July 16 after falling from the third floor of her religious boarding school in Sabah, and later died.
On August 1, Zara’s family requested a reopening of her coffin for an autopsy to determine the true cause of death and whether it involved criminal elements. Her body was exhumed on August 9, and the autopsy was conducted from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on August 10. The body was subsequently reburied at the Simpangan Tengku Ubilla Malay Islamic Cemetery in Sipitang.
The Attorney General’s Chambers released a statement that, after reviewing the police report, an inquest will be held under Section 339(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code to determine the cause of Zara’s death, including whether any criminal activity was involved.
