A man who killed his pregnant mistress has been jailed for life

Siraj Arif

Siraj Arif (born 16/06/1981), of Armstrong Hurst Close, Smallbridge has today Monday 15 October 2012 been sentenced at Manchester Crown Court Crown Square to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years.

Just before midnight on Monday 7 May 2012, police were called to a house on Darlington Road, Kirkholt following reports a woman had been found with stab wounds.
Officers attended and discovered the body of 26-year-old Saiba Khatoon.

A post mortem examination concluded that Saiba died from multiple stab wounds.

At about 9pm a neighbour heard raised voices coming from Saiba’s house.

Saiba’s 8-year-old son knocked on their door and told them that his mum was injured at home.

They went round to her house and found Saiba on the kitchen floor. The North West Ambulance Service were called and on their arrival Saiba was pronounced dead at the scene.

At about 2.20am on Tuesday 8 May 2012 Arif called the police and told the call handler that he was responsible for a stabbing.

He refused to tell the handler where he was. At 4.50am he was arrested on Hayes Street in Rochdale.

Siraj Arif is married and has been for about 10 years however he had been in an extra marital relationship with Saiba Khatoon and it is believed they were married under Islamic law.

Senior Investigating Officer Andy Tattersall from the Major Incident team, said: “If we are to believe Arif’s account he said he killed Saiba following an argument.

“Arif visited Sabia at home and with her son upstairs, he stabbed her fifteen times. This was a brutal attack on a woman he professed to love.

“Saiba was a popular woman and her murder has deeply affected all of her family and many friends.

“She was pregnant with her second child and was looking forward to becoming a mother again.

“She leaves behind a son, who will now grow up without his mum.”