Man who murdered pregnant wife in acid-filled bath begs her family for forgiveness

Meraj Zafar, 20, has asked for forgiveness from his pregnant wife Arnima Hayat's family after pleading guilty to murdering her in Australia and putting her body in a bath full of acid

A man has asked for forgiveness to his pregnant wife’s family after killing her and leaving her body to dissolve in acid in a bath.

Meraj Zafar, 20, pleaded guilty to murdering aspiring surgeon Arnima Hayat, 19, on January 29, 2022. In a letter read out at Sydney Supreme Court to the victim’s family, he reportedly admitted it was “the most terrible thing to do to someone else”.

The couple had been married for four months when Zafar killed his wife at their North Parramatta flat as he feared that she may leave him. An apprehended violence order protecting Ms Hayat has been issued by police in May 2021 after Zafar grabbed her around the neck, believing that she was seeing another man.

The court heard that Zafar bought 100 litres of hydrochloric acid the day after killing Ms Hayat with the aim of disposing of her body by dissolving it in the bath.

Zafar told his mother that she wasn’t breathing and it was she who called the police before Ms Hayat was found naked and lying face down in the tub full of acid.

And now in a letter read out in court, Zafar reportedly 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.” He continued that nobody should have been treated like the way he behaved with Ms Hayat, adding: “I hope one day you can forgive me,” and “I am very sorry”.

His letter came after the victim’s mother Mahafuza Akter told how how a void has been left “that can never be filled”, reported news.com.au. “My tears are never ending and the deep ache in my heart never stops,” Ms Akter said in a statement read to the court. “I cry day and night because she was stolen from me.”

She added: “The dreams we shared for her future were everything a mother could hope for, and losing that dream has left a void that can never be filled.” Ms Hayat’s father Abu Hayat also told the court how Zafar disfigured his daughter's face so he couldn't even see her a final time. “He burned the face I used to talk to every night, he burned her. Can you imagine someone burning your child? He burned her, and I can never see her again,” he said.

And addressing Zafar, he continued: “You killed my daughter, you broke her future … you broke my family, you broke my heart … We lost our daughter and everything else.” Zafar will be sentenced in December.

For confidential support, call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Freephone Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit womensaid.co.uk. If you or your family have lost a friend or family member through fatal domestic abuse, AAFDA (Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse) can offer specialist and expert support and advocacy. For more info visit www.aafda.org.uk