Sullied TV serial producer Suhaib Ilyasi to face murder charge
Former TV serial producer Suhaib Ilyasi will have to face murder charge for the death of his wife Anju Ilyasi in 2000, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday said. “The prima facie material collected by the prosecution justifies the framing of additional charge under Section 302 (murder) of IPC. The revision petition is disposed of with a direction to the trial court to frame additional charge under Section 302 of IPC,” Justice Indermeet Kaur said, while deciding two separate pleas of Ilyasi and his mother-in-law Rukma Singh.
Singh had in her plea sought inclusion of the additional charge of murder against Ilyasi for the death of her daughter on January 11, 2000. On the other hand, Ilyasi, who had been facing trial for the last 14 years under the comparatively milder sections, including 304B (dowry death) of IPC, had moved the court against a decision of police to form a fresh medical panel to ascertain the nature of his wife’s death. Ilyasi had alleged that the setting up of the medical board was illegal as it was being done after filing of chargesheet and framing of charges for the offence of dowry death.
Anju had been rushed to a hospital on January 11, 2000 with fatal stab wounds allegedly received by her 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 and later, charges were framed against him for dowry.