Meraj Zafar: Inside alleged acid bath killer’s Bunnings trip

Fresh details have emerged regarding the man charged with murdering his teenage wife - who was found in a bath filled with acid in Sydney.

An apprentice builder charged with murdering his teenage wife was captured on CCTV buying tubs of chemicals in a Bunnings store hours before her rotting body was found in a bathtub filled with acid, police allege.

Aspiring surgeon Arnima Hayat, 19, was found dead in the apartment she shared with her new husband Meraj Zafar, 20, in North Parramatta in Sydney’s west about 4.30pm on Sunday after her family called police concerned about her welfare.

Zafar was charged after handing himself into a police station at about 12.20pm on Monday after officers released an image of him in a white tip-truck.

He allegedly told detectives he “looked good” when showed CCTV stills of himself buying the chemicals at Bunnings after being taken in for questioning, according to a statement of police facts obtained by the Daily Telegraph.

Meraj Zafar is accused of murder after his wife’s body was found in an acid-filled bathtub. Picture: Facebook

He also spoke to officers about being married for four months and described his relationship as being “generally happy with normal arguments”, the police facts state.

Zafar allegedly bought a 20-litre tub of hydrochloric acid at Bunnings Northmead on Sunday morning, and then returned later to buy another four tubs, the statement of police facts state.

Police allege Zafar murdered the medical student sometime between midday and 5pm on that day, before speaking to his parents and telling them the pair had a “very bad fight”.

Zafar’s lawyer Mohamad Sakr appeared in court on Tuesday on behalf of his client and was granted an adjournment until April 5 to allow time for a brief of evidence to be prepared.

He will remain in custody on remand until that date.

Aminah Hayat and Meraj Zafar lived together at an apartment in North Parramatta.

Even those who saw Ms Hayat after she moved to North Parramatta said she was incredibly reserved.

Parents’ gut-wrenching admission

The devastated parents of 19-year-old Armina said they will not be able to give their daughter a traditional send-off or see her face again because she was so badly disfigured.

Abu Hayat, 41, and his wife Mahafuzer Akter, 39, told Daily Mail Australia they were struggling to cope with the horrific condition of their daughter’s body — allegedly immersed in a bathtub filled with hydrochloric acid.

Ms Hayat moved from Bangladesh to Australia. Picture: Channel 7

They said they will not be able to see their “daughter’s beautiful face” before laying her to rest in Bangladeshi funeral tradition — because the only part of the teenager’s body not destroyed was one of her feet.

“I cannot see the last moment of my daughter’s face because of what was done,” Mr Hayat told the publication.

This is particularly painful for the family because in Bangladeshi tradition, it is customary for the family to see the face of the deceased after they are wrapped in a cloth shroud.

Ms Hayat was in her second year studying medicine at university. Picture: 7 NEWS

She had dreams of becoming a surgeon. Picture: 7 NEWS

In a profound act of worship – the face is shown and the ‘dua’ or prayer is said before the person’s body is placed into the grave.

Mr and Mrs Hayat said their daughter was in her second year studying medicine at university and had dreams of becoming a surgeon.

“Everyone hoped she’d become a doctor,” Mr Hayat said. “She wanted to help people.”

Cramped apartment where victim was found

Meanwhile, pictures have emerged from inside the Sydney unit where a 19-year-old woman was allegedly murdered by her partner and left in a bath filled with acid.

The images of the North Parramatta apartment show a cramped bathroom, with a toilet and a sink squashed next to the bath where emergency services found Aminah Hayat’s remains on Sunday.

The scene was so challenging that police were forced to call hazmat and Fire and Rescue NSW crews for assistance.

Images of the property on Pennant Hills Road, North Parramatta.

Ms Hayat’s body was discovered in the unit.

A sign advertising a unit for sale at an apartment block. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dylan Coker

Ms Hayat shared the apartment with her partner Meraj Zafar — who has been charged with her murder. The couple are understood to have only met a few months ago, and both their parents were reportedly unhappy about the relationship.