Ilyasi moves HC against life term in wife’s murder

NEWDELHI: Former TV anchor and producer Suhaib Ilyasi on Tuesday moved the Delhi High Court, challenging his conviction and life imprisonment in the murder case of his wife, Anju, 18 years ago.

The appeal is likely to come up for hearing on March 15 before a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and P S Teji.

Besides challenging the trial court verdict, Ilyasi, who was taken into custody on December 16 last year after his conviction, has also filed a bail application before the high court.

Advocate Rajiv Mohan, representing Ilyasi, said after amendment of the charge under section 302 for the offence of murder, he was not given an opportunity to cross examine all the witnesses.

The trial court had on December 20, 2017, sentenced Ilyasi to life term for stabbing his wife to death, saying he “committed murder and gave it a colour of suicide”.

It had also imposed a fine of ₹2 lakh on him and directed that ₹10 lakh be paid as compensation to parents of Anju which would be borne by him.

Earlier, Ilyasi was charged with milder provisions, including 304 B (dowry death) of the IPC. However, Anju’s mother Rukma Singh and sister Rashmi Singh had moved the Delhi High Court which in August 2014 had ruled that the TV producer would be tried under Section 302 of the IPC for the offence of murder.

Anju was rushed to a hospital on January 11, 2000 with stab wounds she received at her East Delhi residence.

Ilyasi, who had shot into limelight after hosting TV crime show - ‘India’s Most Wanted’, was arrested on March 28, 2000. Charges were framed against him in the case after his sister-inlaw and mother-in-law alleged that he used to torture his wife for dowry. He was granted bail later.