
Shocking Pregnant Medical Student Murdered by Abusive Husband, Dissolved in Acid Tragedy
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A promising medical student with a bright future was brutally murdered by her abusive and controlling husband while she was pregnant, in a case that has shocked communities and left a family shattered. Arnima Hayat, who moved to Australia from Bangladesh at the age of nine with her family, was known for her exceptional academic record and aspirations of becoming a surgeon. Her parents had sacrificed much to provide her with the best opportunities in life, even relocating and establishing a thriving butcher’s shop in Australia, reports the Mirror.
Arnima quickly adapted to her new home, embracing the culture by perfecting her English, and developing a love for iced coffee, make-up, and sushi. Her achievement in securing a place at Western Sydney University to study medicine filled her family with pride, and she balanced her studies with a part-time job at a shopping center to help pay the fees. However, her promising future took a tragic turn after meeting Meraj Zafar, her first boyfriend, who soon became her abusive husband.
The 19-year-old Arnima soon found herself trapped in a controlling and violent marriage. Just four months after their secret Islamic wedding in October 2021, which was conducted without the presence of family or friends, Arnima became pregnant and increasingly desperate to leave Zafar, according to the Express.
Her family had long harbored concerns about the relationship; Zafar, an apprentice builder, had a menacing presence and was known to coerce Arnima into drinking alcohol. Rumors also circulated about his drug use, intensifying her isolation from her family.
By January 2022, Arnima confided to friends about the escalating abuse. She revealed that when she asked permission to leave the house, he would call her a “dumb bitch” and recounted a horrifying incident when he once strangled her until she was unconscious, claiming he had seen her with another man.
In a desperate message to him, she wrote, “I just don’t want to say this to your face because I’m scared you’re going to bash me again,” and added, “I don’t want a son like you.” Zafar responded coldly, “Baby, you need to let go of the past – whatever I did was not me at all.” Despite her regret and plans to seek police help, fear kept her trapped.
On 29 January, Arnima sent a final message to a friend: “I have nobody except you,” followed by “No, I hate him” at 9.10pm—words that would be her last. The next day, Zafar’s mother alerted police after he admitted to a fight with Arnima and questioned whether she was still breathing.
When officers arrived, they discovered her decomposed body in a bath of hydrochloric acid, the result of Zafar’s attempt to dissolve her remains. DNA tests confirmed her identity. CCTV footage later revealed Zafar purchasing large quantities of acid, and his online searches—“Can hydrochloric acid burn through skin?” and “How many years do you get in Sydney for murder?”—further implicated him.
In May 2024, Zafar pleaded guilty to murder. The judge stated, “He acted in such a way because of his anger and the prospect of Ms Hayat leaving him. This was against a background of controlling and violent behavior by the offender. The offence occurred in the home of Ms Hayat, where she was entitled to feel safe.” In December 2024, the 23-year-old was sentenced to 21 years and six months in prison with a non-parole period of 16 years.
Arnima’s devastated family continues to grieve. Her father tearfully said, “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?” Her mother’s support person read, “There is no joy, no laughter, only suffering and pain. My tears are never-ending 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.”
In a letter to court, Zafar stated, “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.”