Ex-Investigator Testifies in Trial Over Nurai Serikbay Murder

The trial into the murder of 21-year-old Nurai Serikbay continues in Shymkent, with a former investigator from the Karatau district police department, Abilgazy Artykbai, taking the stand, reports infohub.kz.

According to the witness, the police received a report about the alleged abduction of the young woman in October 2025 from her brothers. They claimed that their sister had been taken against her will in accordance with the 'alyp kashu' tradition.

Police officers arrived at the house where Nurai was staying. Many people were present, and preparations for a celebration were underway. In one of the rooms, they found the 'bride' and spoke with her privately. The girl stated that Sherkhan was her boyfriend, they were dating, and she had come to the house voluntarily. She had a phone that was ringing, but she did not answer.

Nurai and Sherkhan were taken to the police station and questioned separately. Their accounts matched. The girl wrote a statement saying she had no complaints, and a video confirming this was also available.

However, the very next day, according to the former investigator, a re-investigation began after Nurai's family filed an appeal. A prosecutor spoke with the girl in the presence of her father, and then privately. She said she had written her statement voluntarily and had not been pressured by the police. When asked why she had filed the statement, she explained that she did so at the request of her father and brothers, who believed that what had happened should not be ignored.

The witness also confirmed that the girl's brothers had opposed the marriage from the very beginning.

As previously reported, the tragedy occurred on January 11 in Shymkent. Sherkhan Aymakhan is on trial, accused of murder, stalking, and forcing someone into marriage. The prosecutor read out the indictment with details of the crime. During interrogation, the defendant claimed that the girl attacked him. Nurai's father spoke about his last conversation with his daughter, and witnesses, including the victim's brothers, also testified.