Dr Bhupinder Singh said there was no medical or forensic evidence suggesting any form of struggle or external force was involved in the incident.

“I would rule out any accidental fall or that somebody had pushed her. It is most likely that she fell on her own will,” he told the inquest before coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan.

Bhupinder, 74, said his conclusions were based on injury patterns, scene reconstruction videos and medical evidence.

The 68th witness called by the legal team led by lawyer Ram Singh, said fractures to the calcaneus bone – a strong bone in the heel – are typically associated with high-impact vertical falls, supporting the conclusion that the victim came down feet first.

He said the force of impact was transmitted upwards through the body, causing multiple fractures before the victim fell backwards.

“Based on the experience I have on falls from height and from the findings in this particular case, my forensic findings are that she fell onto her feet and hands and then fell backwards and hit her head against the edge of the drain.

“I have no doubt in my mind that if there was no head injury, we wouldn’t be sitting here today,” he said.

Bhupinder, who served as consultant forensic pathologist at Penang Hospital from 1992 to 2018, said he has handled numerous fall-from-height cases over nearly three decades.

He also agreed with the opinion of Queen Elizabeth Hospital forensic pathologist Dr Jessie Hiu, who previously testified that the nature of the injuries was consistent with a fall from height.

Zara, 13, died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu on July 17, a day after being found unconscious near a drain at her school hostel in Papar at 4am.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers ordered her remains exhumed for a post-mortem on Aug 8, before announcing a formal inquest on Aug 13.

The inquest continues tomorrow.