Delhi High Court allows appeal of former TV anchor and producer Suhaib Ilyasi and acquits him in murder case of his wife, Anju. An earlier trial court had sentenced him to life term for the murder.


IN 2017, the trial court had ruled out the demand for death sentence saying the case did not fall in the rarest of the rare category. The court also directed that Rs 10 lakh would be paid as compensation to parents of Anju which would be borne by Ilyasi.


Ilyasi, who was brought from Tihar jail, shouted that he was innocent and the award of life sentence is an "injustice".


During the arguments on sentence, the prosecution sought capital punishment for the former TV producer contending that he gave "a painful death to his wife".


Further, the prosecutor said that Ilyasi who was supposed to be a protector became a killer and the case fell within the realms of rarest of rare.


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

Suhaib, 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 in the case after his sister-in-law and mother-in-law alleged that he used to torture his wife for dowry.