Kota kinabalu: A doctor told the Coroner’s Court today that the mother of Zara Qairina Mahathir was given ample time to consider whether or not to have a post-mortem conducted on her daughter. Dr Logaraj Ratha, who has been undergoing off-campus training at the Forensic Medicine Department of Queen Elizabeth Hospital since June last year, said Noraidah Lamat appeared calm and composed when consulted and was allowed space to make an informed decision.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Dr Logaraj explained that at the time, Noraidah seemed calm. He used simple, understandable language to explain the situation and gave her ample time to think, noting that she was able to respond clearly to his questions. The doctor was questioned by lawyer Rizwandean M. Borhan, representing Noraidah in the inquest into the 13-year-old girl’s death.
Earlier in the morning, the witness told the court that the investigating officer, Insp Wong Yew Zhung, informed him that the police would not be issuing the POL 61 form, the official post-mortem order. As a result, the hospital could release the body to the family without conducting a medico-legal post-mortem, to which Noraidah agreed.
Dr Logaraj noted that Insp Wong mentioned Dr Pavankumar Balachandra, the medical officer from the hospital’s Neurosurgery Department, confirmed Zara Qairina’s cause of death as Severe Traumatic Brain Injury with Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy. The police decided against a post-mortem since the cause of death was established through medical evaluation.
Rizwandean questioned whether any doctor advised Insp Wong that an autopsy should be conducted. Dr Logaraj responded that as he did not have the authority to direct the police, it was entirely their jurisdiction to decide on the necessity of a post-mortem. Noraidah did not object and agreed with the decision when informed that the police would not be issuing the POL 61 form.
Further questioned by Rizwandean, Dr Logaraj stated that he had previously spoken to Noraidah, who provided limited information, mentioning only that the school had informed her of her daughter’s injury and subsequent hospital admission.
Meanwhile, Abdul Fikry Jaafar, the lawyer representing four juvenile suspects allegedly involved in bullying Zara Qairina, asked Dr Logaraj if Noraidah ever alleged her daughter was a victim of assault, bullying, or any criminal act. Dr Logaraj confirmed that Noraidah did not make such allegations.
Abdul Fikry inquired about the presence of any signs of physical assault on Zara Qairina’s body, to which Dr Logaraj replied that no examination was conducted since no POL 61 form was issued.
When asked by Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan if Insp Wong was present during the handover of Zara’s remains to her mother, Dr Logaraj confirmed that Insp Wong was not there.
The inquest continues tomorrow. Zara Qairina died on July 17 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and was buried at the Tanjung Ubi Muslim cemetery in Sipitang the same day. She was admitted to the hospital a day earlier after being found unconscious near a drain at her school hostel in Papar at 4 am. On Aug 8, the Attorney General’s Chambers ordered her remains to be exhumed for a post-mortem, before announcing an inquest into her death on Aug 13.