A manipulative and violent man who murdered his pregnant wife before attempting to dissolve her body in a bath of acid had made chilling internet searches prior to the horrific act. Arnima Hayat, an aspiring medical student who moved to Australia from Bangladesh aged nine, had dreams of becoming a surgeon.
Her parents relocated to Australia to give her the best opportunities possible. However after meeting her first boyfriend, 19-year-old Arnima found herself trapped in a toxic marriage and expecting a child.
Just four months into the marriage, she was living in fear and desperate to escape her husband, reports the Mirror.
As a young girl, Arnima adapted well to her new life in Australia, where her parents ran a thriving butcher’s shop. She became an Australian citizen, mastered English, and developed a love for sushi, iced coffee, and makeup.
She was also hardworking, ambitious, and motivated by a desire to help others. Her parents had another daughter, with whom Arnima shared a close bond despite an 11-year age difference.
When Arnima secured a place to study medicine at Western Sydney University, her parents were filled with pride. They worked tirelessly to cover the fees, and she took up a part-time job at a shopping centre to contribute.
However, Arnima’s life took a sinister turn when she met 20-year-old apprentice builder Meraj Zafar. Previously a skinny high school dropout, Zafar had transformed himself in the gym and was now an intimidating figure over Arnima.
From the outset, her family had reservations about his domineering behaviour. He manipulated Arnima into consuming alcohol and there were rumours of his drug use.
Once a tight-knit family, Arnima began to distance herself under Zafar’s influence. In May 2021, Zafar approached Arnima’s father, Abu Hayat, seeking his approval for marriage.
Abu was reluctant and requested to meet Zafar’s parents. Enraged by this, Zafar lost his temper, later bombarding Abu with offensive phone calls, throwing insults like “Are you man or a lady? ” and demanding, “Why can’t you make a decision? ” Disturbed, Abu reported the incidents to the police, leading to Zafar receiving a restraining order.
Despite the turmoil, in October 2021, Arnima and Zafar wed in a private Islamic ceremony, excluding friends and family. The newlyweds moved into a flat in North Parramatta, Sydney, where they became increasingly secluded.
Arnima, once vibrant and outgoing, sharing every aspect of her life with her family, ceased communication. The teenager who loved music and shopping withdrew into silence as she continued her studies.
By January 2022, a pregnant Arnima confided in friends about Zafar’s abusive behaviour, although she hadn’t sought police intervention. Arnima was trapped in a horrifying cycle of abuse; she needed permission just to step outside and was often belittled as a “dumb bitch” by him.
After one terrifying incident involving another man, he strangled her until she passed out. In distressing messages, Arnima appealed for a way out of her abusive relationship.
She texted: “I just don’t want to say this to your face because I’m scared you’re going to bash me again,” and “I don’t want a son like you.” In response, Zafar trivialised her suffering with a text stating, “Baby, you need to let go of the past – whatever I did was not me at all.”
To her friends, she expressed fear, questioning whether to get the police involved. On January 29, she messaged one friend, “I have nobody except you,” articulating her wish to escape, only to be told, “You have got no choice. You have to stay with him.”
However, Arnima’s final known message at 9.10pm that night was unequivocal: “No, I hate him.” The next day’s events led to a horrifying discovery.
Zafar’s mother reported to the police that her son had been in a serious altercation with Arnima. The validity of Arnima’s life came into question. Concurrently, Zafar was investigating the cost of international flights.
Officers eventually encountered a horrid sight in a flat tainted with chemical odours, containing remains so decayed that DNA verification was necessary – confirming these as Arnima’s. The prime suspect, Zafar, had fled in his white van, prompting authorities to circulate his image widely.
Nonetheless, he surrendered within 20 hours. Detectives deduced Arnima’s murder occurred a mere 45 minutes after she sent a message to her friend, with Zafar seen leaving the scene at 9.55pm, by which time Arnima was already dead. CCTV footage later captured Zafar purchasing 20 litres of hydrochloric acid from a store and subsequently returning for an additional 80 litres.
Despite his denials, evidence strongly suggested he intended to dispose of Arnima’s body. Searches on Zafar’s computer unearthed disturbing queries such as “Can hydrochloric acid burn through skin? ” and “How many years do you get in Sydney for murder? ” prior to acquiring the acid.
The tragic incident left Arnima’s family, including her parents and younger sister, heartbroken, as they were deprived of the chance to bid her farewell properly due to the condition of her body, rendering their tradition of an open-casket funeral impossible. In May 2024, Zafar admitted to the appalling crime.
“He did what he did out of fury and because he thought Ms Hayat might dump him,” the judge declared, following Zafar’s admission of extinguishing his wife’s life by “obstructing her breathing or smothering her” and then attempting to dissolve her remains with acid. This act of murder represented the horrifying culmination of Zafar’s pattern of violent and controlling behaviour, occurring in the very place where victim Ms Hayat should have felt most secure.
In December 2024, the now 23-year-old Zafar faced justice in court. Arnima’s father expressed his deep anguish, stating: “I miss my daughter every day and see her face in my dreams.
“He burned the face I used to kiss every night. Can you imagine someone burning your child?” The courtroom was filled with emotion as Arnima’s mother, Mahafuza Akter, had her heartache conveyed by a support person who read out her statement.
“There is no joy, no laughter, only suffering and pain. My tears are neverending and the deep ache in my heart never stops. Instead, I sit by her grave every Friday, stroking the grass because I can no longer stroke her hair. I kiss and hug her tombstone, longing to hold and smell her.”
Her aspirations of becoming a doctor and helping others were tragically taken from her, leaving an irreplaceable void in her family’s lives and a future robbed of her potential.
In his apology to the court, Zafar said: “I don’t know how to begin to say how sorry I am for all that I have caused and all that I have affected through my actions. It’s the most terrible thing to do to someone else.”
However, the judge picked up on a telling detail in Zafar’s statement – his consistent reference to Arnima simply as “his wife”, without using her name, suggesting a possessive attitude towards her. Zafar was consequently sentenced to 21 years and six months in prison, with a minimum term of 16 years before he can apply for parole.
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