Chandigarh: The mysterious death of former Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Mohammad Mustafa’s son Aqil Akhtar took a sensational turn after some social media posts and video resurfaced on the internet.
The posts, purportedly made by the 35-year-old Aqil, alleged personal disputes and apprehensions about threats to his life. In a video, Aqil alleged that his father had an affair with his wife, and that his mother and sister were conspiring to kill him.
On Tuesday, Haryana Police filed an FIR against Mustafa and his wife, former minister and three-time MLA Razia Sultana, in connection with their son Aqil’s death in Panchkula on the night of October 16.
The complaint, filed by one Shamshudeen Chaudhary, alleges that Aqil’s death happened under “suspicious circumstances”.
A case has been registered under Sections 103(1) (murder) and 61 (criminal conspiracy) of the BNS against Mustafa, Razia, their daughter and daughter-in-law.
According to police, Aqil was found unconscious at his Sector 4 home in the Mansa Devi Complex area and declared dead upon arrival at Civil Hospital in Sector 6.
His family claimed it was a case of drug overdose, and the body was released after post-mortem for cremation at their native Saharanpur village in Uttar Pradesh.
However, the case took a shocking twist when Malerkotla resident Shamshudeen, an acquaintance of the family, lodged a complaint mentioning Aqil’s August 27 video post in which he claimed his father and wife were having an affair.
“I have discovered my wife’s affair with my dad. I am under immense mental trauma. They are planning to get me killed or frame him in a false case. My mother and sister are also part of the conspiracy,” Aqil said in the video, adding that he feared for his life.
In another video, Aqil claimed his family labelled him “mentally unstable” to discredit him and had confined him illegally at a rehabilitation centre.
“This confinement was illegal… They threatened to frame me in a rape or murder case if I took any step against them,” Aqil alleged.
Aqil posted another video retracting some of his earlier claims, saying he was under mental distress. However, that video ended with him saying, “Will they get me killed? They are all scoundrels.”
Shamshudeen, who submitted screenshots of Aqil’s diary and his social media posts as supporting evidence, urged Haryana DGP and chief minister Nayab Singh Saini to ensure an “impartial and transparent probe.”
Aqil’s father Mustafa dismissed the allegations as “baseless,” claiming that his son was mentally unstable and a drug addict.
“He had been admitted to rehabilitation centres multiple times. The video was made when he was not in a sound mental state,” Mustafa said.
SIT to probe
Panchkula deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Srishti Gupta said a five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed under the supervision of an assistant commissioner of police (ACP) to investigate the case.
“The SIT will investigate with an open mind and without prejudice. No guilty person will be spared, and no innocent person will suffer,” Gupta said.
Post retirement from Punjab Police in 2021, Mustafa joined the Congress. His wife Razia was a cabinet minister in the Congress-led Punjab government between 2017 and 2022, under the chief ministership of Captain Amarinder Singh and Charanjit Singh Channi.
