Family of tahfiz pupil to take legal action if death related to abuse

The family of tahfiz (religious) school pupil Mohamed Thaqif Amin Mohd Gaddafi who died this afternoon will take legal action if his death was due to alleged abuse, including beatings inflicted by an assistant hostel warden who is under police remand.

His aunt, Dzuraidah Ahmad, 38, said the family had for now left it up to the police to investigate the case.

"For the moment, we leave the investigation to the authorities, if it (the death) is found to be related to the beatings, we''ll fight for justice.

"People have attributed it to fate but we will do something so that justice is served," she said when met at the Sultan Ismail Hospital (HSI) here, where Mohamed Thaqif Amin died at 2.05pm.

The 11-year-old''s legs were amputated due to infection last Friday.

Dzuraidah said the third of five children was a healthy boy and actively played football, adding that her family was very close to the deceased as he often met them during the school holidays.

According to the aunt, Mohamad Thaqif Amin had always aspired to become a ''hafiz'' (memoriser of the Quran) and had already learnt the Yassin and Al-Mulk chapters by heart.

News of the pupil''s admission to HSI on April 19 went viral on social media when it was reported he sustained injuries to the legs, believed to have been caused by beatings inflicted by the school''s assistant warden.

Mohamad Thaqif Amin's right hand was later found to be infected due to blood clots, and was scheduled for amputation this morning, in order to save his life.

However, the operation was called off as the pupil's heart was not in stable condition and he also had a fever.

The police have extended the remand of a 29-year-old suspect by three days until Saturday after his previous remanded order ended today.

-- BERNAMA