Shymkent police face negligence probe seven months after Nurai Serikbai killing

September 2, 2026 at 08:14 AM2 min

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Shymkent prosecutors confirmed a criminal negligence case against Karatau district police officers remains under investigation seven months after the killing of 21-year-old Nurai Serikbai. The case was registered on January 19, 2026, under Article 371 Part 2 of the Criminal Code. The former investigator who filmed Nurai before her death was dismissed from the police on January 20.

Key Facts

Shymkent prosecutors registered a criminal negligence case against Karatau district police officers on January 19, 2026, under Article 371 Part 2 of the Criminal Code.
The former investigator who filmed Nurai Serikbai on his personal phone was dismissed from the police on January 20, 2026, nine days after her killing.
Sherkhan Aimakhan, 28, was sentenced to life imprisonment on August 13 for stabbing Nurai Serikbai 35 times on January 11, 2026.
A forensic examination presented in court on August 7 concluded that Nurai's speech on the video was prepared in advance and contained elements of premeditation.
The maximum penalty for negligence causing grave consequences under Article 371 Part 2 is four years of imprisonment and a three-year ban on holding certain positions.

The Negligence Case

The Shymkent prosecutor's office confirmed that the pre-trial investigation into police negligence remains ongoing. The case was registered on January 19, 2026, by the internal security department of the Shymkent police against officers of the Karatau district police department. Prosecutors declined to disclose how many officers are under investigation, citing the secrecy of the investigation. The charge falls under Article 371 Part 2 of the Criminal Code, which covers negligence that inadvertently caused grave consequences.

The Former Investigator

The investigator who responded to the call after Nurai Serikbai's abduction is himself a defendant in the case. He testified in court on July 31 that he was dismissed from the police on January 20, nine days after the killing, for making an illegal decision. He filmed the video on his personal phone that circulated on social media after Nurai's death, in which she said she was not abducted and voluntarily got into Aimakhan's car. Nurai's brothers claimed in court that the investigator drank tea with Aimakhan's father while Nurai was in the next room, which the former investigator denied. The Shymkent police confirmed that the pre-trial investigation against the former investigator continues but did not disclose details.

The Killing and Trial

Nurai Serikbai was killed on the evening of January 11, 2026, near her parents' house in Shymkent. Sherkhan Aimakhan, 28, inflicted 35 stab wounds on her and fled, according to investigators. He was detained two days later and sentenced to life imprisonment on August 13. Nurai's relatives said Aimakhan had been stalking her since the summer of 2025.