A man appeared in court to face a murder charge yesterday after a woman was found dead at the Golden Dragon Hotel in Geylang over the weekend.
Bangladeshi Ahmed Salim, 30, was charged with murdering Ms Nurhidayati Wartono Surata, 34, between 5.08pm and 8.12pm on Sunday. Police had said that the pair knew each other but court documents did not reveal the nature of their relationship.
The Straits Times earlier reported that officers were alerted to the case at 10.45pm on Sunday.
Ms Nurhidayati, an Indonesian, was later found lying motionless in a room at the hotel. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene and The Straits Times understands that she had marks on her neck as well as bruises on her arms.
Police arrested Ahmed within 14 hours after a report was made.
Chinese-language evening daily Lianhe Wanbao said an unnamed hotel employee said the pair had booked a room for three hours before extending the booking to five hours. But no one checked out 10 hours later. Lianhe Wanbao said hotel staff went upstairs to check the room and discovered the body.
A hotel guest, who declined to be named, told Wanbao that he did not hear any commotion and that he knew about the incident only when police knocked on his door.
Dressed in a red polo T-shirt, Ahmed was expressionless as he stood in the dock yesterday.
He is now remanded at the Central Police Division and the case has been adjourned till Jan 9.
If convicted of murder, he will face the death penalty.
Shaffiq Alkhatib
