KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 10 -- The death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir at a religious boarding school in Sabah has evolved from a reported accidental fall into a national controversy, prompting a forensic reinvestigation and an order for the exhumation of her remains.

What began as a standard police case has transformed into a high-profile probe after the victim's family challenged initial findings and persistently demanded a post-mortem examination.

Muddying matters is the relentless flow of claims spreading on social media, variously linking the case to several politicians.

The Attorney General's Chambers has now ordered the exhumation following sustained pressure from Zara's family and their legal representatives, with senior gover...