adminKOTA KINABALU: A forensic pathologist told the Coroner’s Court here today that Zara Qairina Mahathir most likely fell of her own accord, thus ruling out the possibility that the Form One student fell accidentally or was pushed, based on forensic findings.
Datuk Seri Dr Bhupinder Singh Jeswant Singh said there was no evidence from a medical or forensic perspective to indicate a struggle or the use of any external force in the incident.
“I rule out the possibility of an accidental fall or a fall due to being pushed… it is highly likely, as I have stated, that the individual fell of his own accord,” he told Deputy Public Prosecutor who is also the inquest officer, Mohd Fairuz Johari before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan.
The 74-year-old expert, who is also an Associate Professor at the Department of Forensic Medicine and Law at the RCSI & UCD Malaysia Campus (RUMC) Penang, explained that his conclusions were based on injury patterns, reconstruction videos at the scene of the incident as well as medical evidence.
When asked by Mohd Fairuz about his final opinion regarding the manner of the fall, taking into account the injuries, findings at the scene of the incident and medical evidence, Dr Bhupinder said there was no sign or evidence that the victim was held or thrown, adding that the most likely scenario was that the deceased had climbed or crossed the barrier on his own.
Dr Bhupinder, who was the 68th witness called by the legal team led by Datuk Ram Singh, explained that fractures to the calcaneus, the strong bone in the heel, are usually associated with high-impact vertical falls, thus supporting the conclusion that the victim fell (landed) feet first.
He said the impact force was transferred upwards through the body, causing multiple broken bones before the victim fell backwards.
“Based on my experience of falling from heights and the findings in this case, my conclusion from a forensic perspective is that he (the victim) fell and landed on his feet and hands, before then falling backwards and hitting his head on the edge of the drain. I have no doubt that if it hadn’t been for the head injury, we wouldn’t be here today,” he said.
Dr Bhupinder, who served at Penang Hospital from 1992 to 2018 as a Consultant Forensic Pathologist, said he had handled many cases of falls from heights over the past three decades.
He also agreed with the findings of Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) Forensic Pathologist Dr Jessie Hiu, who previously testified that the pattern of injuries involved was consistent with falling from a height.
Questioned by the legal team representing Zara Qairina’s mother, led by Datuk Rizwandean M. Borhan, Dr Bhupinder acknowledged the existence of a special field known as biomechanics of falls, which is a field that studies the forces, movements and reactions of the body in a fall based on the principles of physics and engineering.
Dr Bhupinder agreed that while the field exists, he is not an expert in fall biomechanics, adding that his conclusions are based on forensic pathology findings including injury patterns as well as medical evidence.
Responding to a question from Zara Qairina’s father’s lawyer, Nurul Rafiqah Afdul Mutolip, regarding the role of clothing in the investigation, the expert said that clothing in general is an important element in forensic analysis because it can provide clues about the effects of blows, tears or signs of a possible struggle.
He said clothing can also help correlate injuries with the surface of impact, including scratches or bruises, as well as determine whether there was an external force or struggle before the incident occurred.
However, Dr Bhupinder said the absence of clothing in the case did not affect his overall findings as the injuries were supported by medical imaging, autopsy results and other available evidence, although he acknowledged that clothing could have been helpful as additional information.
Zara Qairina, 13, died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital on July 17, 2025, a day after being found unconscious in a drain near her school dormitory, at about 4 am.
On August 13, 2025, the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) ordered an inquest to be conducted after reviewing the police investigation report, while on August 8, 2025, the AGC issued an order to re-excavate the deceased’s grave to allow for a post-mortem.
The inquest proceedings continue tomorrow.
— BERNAMA
