Kuala lumpur: Police have arrested a man for spreading false statements about the investigation into the death of Form One student Zara Qairina Mahathir on social media. Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk M Kumar announced the arrest, noting that the suspect had posted a video on TikTok containing a fabricated audio conversation claiming the student's death was a premeditated murder.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the 51-year-old suspect uploaded a two-minute and six-second video on August 15. The video featured an alleged pathologist's audio, which misrepresented the circumstances surrounding Zara Qairina's death. Authorities seized a mobile phone believed to have been used in the dissemination of this misinformation. The man was taken into custody at 10:20 pm and will be remanded for three days until August 21. The case is being investigated under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948, Section 505(B) of the Penal Code, and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

Datuk M Kumar emphasized the police's commitment to taking stern action against those spreading rumors or manipulating facts to incite fear or disrupt legal proceedings. He urged the public to verify information on social media before accepting it as truth and encouraged patience while authorities conduct their investigation.

Zara Qairina, aged 13, passed away at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital in Sabah on August 17, a day after she was discovered unconscious in a drain near her school dormitory.