Zara Qairina Found In Drain Unconscious With Bloody Neck – Security Guard

KOTA KINABALU, Sept 10 (Bernama) -- A security guard told the Coroner’s Court here today that she found the late Zara Qairina Mahathir lying on her back in a drain, unconscious and with her neck bleeding, at about 3 am on July 16.

Linah Mansoding @ Jaliha, 65, who has served at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Tun Datu Mustapha in Papar since July 1, 2012, said that on the day of the incident, at about 2 am, she was patrolling the female hostel at Rabiatul Adawiyah Block and found no unusual incidents.

“I then proceeded to the adjacent hostel block, namely Sumayyah Block, which is also a female hostel, to continue my patrol,” said the mother of four, who was on duty from 8 pm, July 15 until 8 am, July 16.

According to Linah, at around 3 am while she was at Sumayyah Block, she was informed by a student that a female student had fainted in the drain near Rabiatul Adawiyah Block.

The witness said this while reading her statement before Coroner Judge Amir Shah Amir Hassan on the fifth day of the inquest proceedings into the teenager’s death.

“I immediately rushed to the hostel and found a female student known as Zara lying on her back in the hostel drain unconscious,” said the elderly woman.

According to the sixth witness, she then promptly contacted the Head Warden of the hostel, Azhari Abd Sagap, and informed him of the incident, before taking a picture of the victim lying in the drain.

“After Ustaz Azhari arrived at the scene, he immediately contacted the hospital, and an ambulance arrived at about 4 am. The student was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital for treatment,” Linah said.

The woman also confirmed that there were no closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed at the hostel block, and no grilles (iron bars) fitted along the hostel building corridors.

When questioned by Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Fairuz Johari, the witness said the picture of the victim, which she had taken using her mobile phone, was sent to four teachers and the head warden via WhatsApp.

She said the phone was later taken by the police at the end of July to assist in the investigation.

During questioning by lawyer Shahlan Jufri, who is representing Zara Qairina’s family, the witness stated that she recognised the victim as Zara Qairina because she was already familiar with the students there.

Shahlan: Earlier, you said a student informed you about the incident. Can you tell us what she said?

Linah: The student said, “Aunty, aunty, there’s a girl who fainted… I went closer but I didn’t want to touch (the victim)… I was scared… she was unconscious but still breathing.”

She said that at the time of the incident, all the students in the hostel were still asleep.

“The student looked frightened. I asked who had fainted, but she (the student) said she could not recognise the person because she was short-sighted,” the witness explained.

Elaborating further, the witness said she contacted Ustaz Azhari because she did not have the phone number of the new Head Warden, known as Cikgu Anis.

“I did not call Cikgu Anis, instead I called Ustaz Azhari. He lived in a terrace house behind the hostel… I only called once, and Ustaz Azhari immediately answered,” she said.

Shahlan: When Ustaz Azhari arrived, what did he say?

Linah: He said, *Astaghfirullahalazim… what has happened?* I replied, I also don’t know, Ustaz, when I arrived… she had already fallen.

Linah said that Ustaz Azhari called several female teachers and later, four female teachers and the school principal arrived at the scene, and they too inquired about the incident.

The inquest proceedings before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan will continue tomorrow.

Zara Qairina, 13, passed away at Queen Elizabeth Hospital on July 17.

She had been admitted to the hospital a day earlier after being found unconscious in the drain near her school hostel in Papar at 4 am.

On Aug 13, the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) ordered an inquest to be conducted after reviewing the police investigation report, while earlier on Aug 8, the AGC had issued an order to exhume Zara Qairina’s remains to enable a post-mortem to be carried out.

--BERNAMA