In a horrifying incident, a 19-year-old woman named Armina Hayat was found dead in an acid bathtub in North Parramatta of Sydney. The Police has charged her husband Meraj Zafar for her murder after discovering the body. Police had arrived at the house after Hayat’s family had called the police as they were concerned about her welfare.
Emergency services were shocked to see the body lying in an acid-filled bathtub inside the house on Sunday afternoon. After making a forced entry into the house, the police had found the 19-year-old Hayat’s body in the bathroom, along with tubs of corrosive material. The cops had to call hazmat crews and Fire and Rescue personnel to recover the body from the tub.
According to the police, Meraj Zafar, who told the neighbours that he is from Pakistan, murdered Hayat sometime between 12 pm and 5 pm on Sunday, after which he left the house in his truck.
According to the reports, Armina and Meraj Zafar had been married for a few weeks and were sharing the apartment at Pennant Hills Rd, North Parramatta. The Bankstown Police arrested Zafar on Monday charging him for allegedly giving his wife an acid bath and disappearing.
The Bankstown Local Court also refused Zafar’s bail as his lawyer appeared in court on his behalf and attained an adjournment until April 5 to seek time for a brief of evidence to be prepared. His lawyer said that he will remain in jail for at least two months, after which he can apply for bail.
While the police investigation is in the initial stages, it has been known that Hayat’s parents were against her marriage to Zafar, and there had been disagreements in the past about the wedding. Reports mention that the Police had issued a public notice searching for Zafar’s whereabouts prior to his arrest.
The lawyer in his statement to the media has affirmed that nothing is clear about the incident at this stage as Zafar was distraught. “It’s just a matter of whether he wishes to fight these charges or not, but I will obtain those instructions,” he was quoted.
The Police are said to have suspected Zafar after they captured and released images of him and the truck he was believed to have been driving after Hayat’s body was found.
The truck has been seized by the Police in Greenacre on Monday and is slated to undergo a forensic examination. The police also recovered a small cat and her paws are being scrutinized to check the presence of chemicals. NSW Police Superintendent Julie Boon meanwhile has confirmed the acid bath incident but is still investigating to know the exact cause of death.
Armina Hayat was in her second year of studying medicine at university and she aspired to become a surgeon.
