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Police still to decide whether Illyasi's wife was murdered

Onkar Singh in New Delhi

More than 48 hours after 27-year-old Anju Illyasi died in mysterious circumstances, the Delhi police have still not made up their mind whether she committed suicide or was murdered.

Anju, wife of Suhaib Illyasi, producer of India's Most Wanted, a popular television show now running on Doordarshan, died of two stab wounds on her person.

Dr L C Gupta from Sabzi Mandi mortuary, Dr Bhardwaj from the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, and Dr Alexendar from Safdarjung Hospital carried out a post-mortem on the body last afternoon, but did not give their findings until late in the evening.

According to a senior Delhi police officer monitoring the investigation, the report would probably be given early this morning.

Anju Illyasi's remains are to be consigned to flames today after her mother and sisters arrive from the United States.

"My mother is arriving late tonight or early tomorrow morning because of an 18-hour delay in her flight. After that we will talk to the press," Prashant Kumar, Anju's brother, told rediff.com

Kumar flew to Delhi yesterday to lend moral support to his father Dr K P Singh, who was alone in the capital at the time of the tragic incident.

Suhaib Illyasi continued to be under heavy sedation this afternoon and nobody from his famIlly or Anju's famIlly was willing to speak to the press. "We will hold a joint press conference after her cremation," Prashant Kumar said. Reporters were shocked by this announcement, because it means the girl's famIlly has given Illyasi a clean chit even before the post-mortem report is made public.

After reporters raised a hue and cry about the manner in which the investigations were being carried out, Magistrate Ravi Dadich, who is conducting the inquest, ordered Illyasi's house sealed till further orders. Dadich confirmed that Anju had two stab wounds on her body, but refused to say anything about whether she has been killed.

A senior police officer denied reports appearing in some local papers about the arrest of Narender, who is said to have been the cause of a dispute between the Illyasis.

"The man was a close friend of Illyasi, but was not liked by Anju. When he gave Illyasi four miniature bottles of whisky, Anju got so wild that she screamed at him and forced him to return the gift. The gift was given on the occasion of Eid only a couple of days ago. Illyasi himself told us that his wife resented the kind of relationship he had with his friend. We would like to know what kind of relationship the two had that Anju did not like," the officer told rediff.com in an informal chat.

Narender claims to be a fan of Illyasi and reportedly cut a vein when Illyasi requested him to stop visiting his house. He owns a gift shop in Karol Bagh.

Asked whether police had arrested Narender, R K Niyogi, joint commissioner, New Delhi range, said, "Why should we arrest him? He has nothing to do with the case. He was not even present when the incident took place. The only thing we want to know is the nature of his relationship with Illyasi."

Asked if the Delhi police had given Illyasi a clean chit, Niyogi said he would not like to make any comment at this stage. "The course of action will be decided once the post-mortem report is made available to us. If the report indicates that it is a case of murder then we will register a case of murder. If it says that it is a case of homicide, then we will take action accordingly. But if the report says that it is suicide, then there is very little for us to do," he explained.

Police officers confirmed that there had been some lapse on the part of the two security guards provided to Illyasi as they had failed to inform the higher-ups about Anju's stab wounds. It was only after a medico-legal case was registered by the policemen posted at the AIIMS, where Anju was brought dead on the night of January 10, that senior officials of the Delhi police were informed. "But this is a minor lapse because the two were helping Illyasi remove the injured Anju to hospital. The two constables did not hear the cries of Anju after she was injured because the bedroom is located at the other end of the house and the main door is too thick to let any voice or scream out," said another senior police officer.

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