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 said the man, 51, was found to have uploaded a two minute and six second video to a TikTok account on Aug 15 containing the audio conversation of a supposed pathologist who claimed that the death of the student was a premeditated murder.
“A mobile phone believed to have been used in this case was also seized,” he said in a statement here today, adding that 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.
“The suspect was arrested at 10.20 pm yesterday and has been remanded for three days starting from today till Aug 21.”
He also warned that the police would take stern action against those deliberately spreading rumours or manipulating facts aimed at causing fear or concern among the public or disrupting court proceedings.
He also advised the public to not simply believe information on social media without verifying its accuracy and urged all parties to allow the authorities to conduct their investigations professionally.
Zara Qairina, 13, died at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital in Sabah on Aug 17 a day after she was found lying unconscious in a drain near her school dormitory. – Bernama
