Former Punjab DGP Mustafa, ex-minister Razia Sultana booked for son’s murder
Case takes shocking turn after Aqil Akhtar’s August video resurfaces in which he alleges illicit relations between his father and his wife.
Haryana Police on Tuesday booked former Punjab director general of police (human rights) Mohammad Mustafa and his wife and ex-minister Razia Sultana for the murder of their son, Aqil Akhtar, 35, in Panchkula on the night of October 16.
Police had earlier said that Aqil was found unconscious by his family at his Sector 4 house in the Mansa Devi Complex area of Panchkula. He was rushed to the Civil Hospital in Sector 6, where doctors declared him brought dead. The police recorded their statements and did not raise any suspicion of foul play. The body was handed over to the family after the post-mortem the following day and the last rites were conducted at their native village in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
However, the case took a shocking turn on Tuesday after Shamshudeen Chaudhary, a resident of Malerkotla in Punjab, lodged a complaint, citing a social media post by Aqil in August in which he expressed threat to his life.
The first information report (FIR), based on Aqil’s allegations in the video posted on August 27, said he had discovered illicit relations between his father and his wife and claimed his mother and sister were also conspiring to kill him or implicate him in a false case.
Chaudhary said the news of Aqil’s sudden death appears to have confirmed his apprehensions. “His death warrants a thorough, fair and impartial investigation amid the serious allegations.” The complainant sought the examination of the video, digital evidence, call records, post-mortem report, and the possible involvement of family members or associates to ensure the truth is brought to light and justice done.
He shared a screenshot of a diary while lodging the written complaint with the Panchkula Police and urged Haryana DGP OP Singh and chief minister Nayab Singh Saini to ensure an impartial investigation.
Aqil unstable, shared contradictory video: Mustafa
Following his complaint and the contents of the social media posts, the FIR was registered at the MDC police station against the former DGP (human rights), his wife, their daughter, and daughter-in-law in connection with Aqil’s death.
Chaudhary was earlier associated with the Shiromani Akali Dal and switched loyalty to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Malerkotla MLA Mohammad Jamil Ur Rahman. An AAP leader said Chaudhary had stopped taking calls from people and was asked not to continue working with the party about a year and a half ago. Chaudhary, however, said he stayed near Mustafa’s house in Malerkotla and had met Aqil on a few occasions.
When contacted, Mustafa, a former state DGP (human rights), refuted the allegations against him and other family members. He said his son was not mentally stable and that he had posted another video in October that contradicted the one shared in August.
He said that Aqil had been admitted to drug rehabilitation centres several times as he was an addict.
SIT formed for thorough probe
Deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Srishti Gupta said that the case has been registered under Section 103(1) (murder) and Section 61 (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
To ensure a thorough probe, a five-member special investigation team (SIT) has been constituted under the supervision of an assistant commissioner of police (ACP).
DCP Gupta said that the SIT will conduct the investigation “with an open mind and without any prejudice, with the aim of ensuring that no guilty person is spared and no innocent person suffers”.
Aqil is survived by his wife, a five-year-old son and a seven-year-old daughter.
Mustafa retired from Punjab Police in 2021 and later joined the Congress. Aqil’s mother, Razia Sultana, was elected three times as the MLA from Malerkotla.
