KUALA LUMPUR: The federal police Integrity and Standard Compliance Department is in the process of recording statements from the district police chief, the district Criminal Investigation Department (CID) chief, and the investigating officer involved in the probe into the death of Zara Qairina Mahathir.

Its director, Datuk Hamzah Ahmad, said this would be carried out soon.

When asked whether the three officers were still on duty, suspended, or transferred, he said the matter was still being handled.

"It is in process and action is being taken," he said briefly when contacted today.

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Last Friday, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said the Integrity and Standard Compliance Department had launched investigations into the district police chief and his two senior officers over their handling of Zara's case.

He added that the department would send a team to Sabah soon following the opening of a disciplinary investigation paper.

"The investigation involves a district police chief with the rank of Superintendent, a district CID chief with the rank of Assistant Superintendent, and an investigating officer with the rank of Inspector.

"The Integrity and Standard Compliance Department will record statements from all of them within a day or two to determine whether there was any non-compliance in supervision," he said.

Zara, 13, died at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital in Kota Kinabalu while receiving treatment on July 17.

She was taken to hospital at 4am the day before after being found unconscious in a drain near her school hostel, where she was reported to have fallen from the third floor.

On Aug 9, Zara Qairina's grave was exhumed in preparation for the post-mortem, which was conducted at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital (HQE I) in Kota Kinabalu from 11am to 7.30pm on Sunday.

It followed an order by the Attorney-General's Chambers (A-GC).

Her remains were reburied early the next morning.

Last Wednesday, federal police CID director Datuk M Kumar said at a press conference that the failure of the investigating officer to request a post-mortem at the initial stage was identified as the main reason for the breach of standard operating procedures (SOP) in Zara's case.