A closed-door trial of a former police major has begun in Karaganda, in whose office investigators say the body of a 23-year-old woman was found a year ago, infohub.kz reports.
According to the KTK television channel, the high-profile case has sparked widespread public outcry. The former police officer appeared before the court. A year ago he was found unconscious in a coma at his workplace, while the body of a 23-year-old woman was discovered in an adjacent room. According to a preliminary version, both individuals suffered severe toxic drug poisoning.
The investigation lasted a full year, and the case materials have now been officially handed over to the courts. It was decided to hold the hearings behind closed doors.
The mother and aunt of the deceased woman attended the first court session, with the regional prosecutor's office representing the family's interests in the proceedings.
Even before the hearings officially began, the lawyer for the former police officer, Aset Tubekov, filed a motion for the proceedings to be held in closed session. He explained that the materials contain personal correspondence and intimate details whose disclosure would be undesirable. The defendant opposed making public the details of his relationship with the deceased woman. The judge granted the request and ordered the press to leave the courtroom.
Recall that the body of the woman, along with a district police inspector who was unconscious, was found at a police station in Karaganda. Deputy Interior Minister Sanzhar Adilov subsequently commented on the news that the woman's body and the unconscious district inspector had been found at a police station in Karaganda. The head of the Interior Ministry called the case "disgraceful." In November 2025, it became known that the police officer had been granted witness status.