SINGAPORE – A man appeared in court to face a murder charge on Wednesday (Jan 2) after a woman was found dead at the Golden Dragon Hotel in Geylang at the weekend.

Bangladeshi Ahmed Salim, who turned 30 on Tuesday, was charged with murdering Ms Nurhidayati Wartono Surata, 34, between 5.08pm and 8.12pm on Sunday (Dec 30).

Police 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 was later found lying motionless in a room at the Westerhout Road hotel.

Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene and the ST understands that she had marks on her neck as well as bruises on her arms.

Police arrested Ahmed within 14 hours of a report being made.

According to evening daily Lianhe Wanbao, an unnamed hotel employee said the pair had originally booked a room for three hours before extending the booking to five hours.

However, no one had checked out 10 hours later.

Lianhe Wanbao reported that hotel staff went upstairs to check the room and discovered the body.

A hotel guest, who declined to be named, told Lianhe 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 on Wednesday.

He will be remanded at the Central Police Division and the case has been adjourned to Jan 9.

If convicted of murder, he will face the death penalty.

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