M A I N   N E W S

Ilyasi held for dowry death
From Our Correspondent

NEW DELHI, March 28 — Producer of TV serial “India’s Most Wanted” Suhaib Ilyasi was arrested today in connection with dowry-related death of his wife Anju Ilyasi(27). He was remanded in judicial custody for 14 days by the Metropolitan Magistrate at Karkardooma Court, Mr Sanjay Kumar.

Mr Ilyasi was arrested from his father’s house at Kasturba Gandhi Marg in New Delhi after an inquest report in connection with the unnatural death of Anju Ilyasi submitted yesterday by the SDM, Mr Ravi Dadhich, Joint Commissioner of Police (New Delhi Range) R.K. Niyogi said.

The police arrested him on charges of mental harassment for dowry, dowry death and tampering with evidence under Sections 304 (B), 498 (A) and 201, IPC.

The case was registered at the Trilokpuri police station on the basis of the inquest report of the SDM, Mr Niyogi said.

Miss Rashmi Singh and Mrs Rukma Singh, sister-in-law and mother-in-law of Mr Ilyasi, respectively, in statements to the SDM, alleged “continuous mental harassment, torture and demand for money” by the accused and his parents.

Anju (27) died in the evening of January 10 reportedly of self-inflicted stab wounds in the abdomen after a fight with her husband at their IFS Apartments at Mayur Vihar in East Delhi.

But the police came to know about her death the following day after she was declared brought dead at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Two stab wounds were visible in her abdomen.

Mr Ilyasi has told the police that Anju had committed suicide after an argument. She was taken to a nursing home with the help of security personnel provided to Mr Ilyasi by the Delhi Police after a threat from criminals.

The police found bloodstains on the carpet in the living room. The blanket and the bedspread in the main bedroom also had blood stains.

The police had registered a case of suicide on January 17, seven days after Anju’s death, based on the post-mortem report submitted by a three-member medical team at the AIIMS which ruled out murder. While Anju’s father K.P. Singh, who was examined by the police soon after her death, did not suspect any foul play, Mr Ilyasi had told the police that he had “strained” relations with Anju for some time. The couple had a girlchild.

Interestingly, Anju’s parents, brother and other family members had initially come to the defence of Mr Illyasi, saying that she was a headstrong girl capable of taking such an extreme step.

Meanwhile, sources close to the Ilyasi family alleged that the new twist had been brought in over the right of custody of the couple’s sole child, Aaliya.

Attired in a black suit and a checked shirt, Mr Ilyasi, stepped out of the Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court here and said: “This is not a conspiracy against me but against my programme....”