Body of Corentyne woman found in trench

-lover confesses to murdering her – sources

The badly decomposed body of 29-year-old Arifa Muntazali of Number 64 Village, Corentyne has been discovered at Chesney Backdam, Corentyne and a man with whom she shared a relationship has admitted to killing her.

Her body was found in a trench with her hands tied behind her back.

The man who had at first denied knowing her whereabouts told police yesterday morning that the woman had hanged herself.

He later took investigators to where the body was and at that stage he confessed that he had killed her. He was wanted following reports that she was “kidnapped” and had been arrested on June 21.

Muntazali who would have celebrated her 30th birthday on Monday left her marital home on May 22 apparently to go with the man.

Her husband, Hafeez Muntazali told this newspaper last evening when contacted that the woman did not inform him she was leaving home. When he called her the same day she told him she had gone to a friend’s religious function and would be home later.

The following day he called again and she said she was coming the next day “for sure, no matter how late.” She never showed up but early the next morning she called and related that she wanted to return home but that someone had “kidnapped” her.

He said the woman sounded like she was being held against her will and when he tried to question her further the call was disconnected.

The matter was reported to the police on May 30 and according to a press release the man was arrested on June 21 at Parika, East Bank Essequibo.

Her husband said he was at work yesterday when he received a call from the woman’s sister that she was dead. He said he never had any problems with his wife, except that when he would “advise her” she would get annoyed.

He said she did not deserve to die so cruelly and that if the man had loved her he should have allowed her to “decide if she wanted to come home to her family. But he was jealous of her.” The couple has a nine-year-old daughter, Aleyaha Muntazali.

According to him his wife met the man four years ago when they had moved to live at Fryish. Two years later they returned to Number 64 Village but the relationship apparently continued.

Hafeez said that all day Monday he kept “wondering if she was spending her birthday somewhere.” He said he had a lot of plans for her “but look how it turned out.”