A disturbing twist has emerged in the case of Aqil Akhtar, the 35-year-old son of former Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Mohammad Mustafa and former minister Razia Sultana. Aqil was found dead last week under suspicious circumstances, and a resurfaced video has brought serious allegations to light. In the video, Aqil claimed his father was having an affair with his wife and accused his mother and sister of conspiring to kill him.
Following these revelations, the Haryana Police have registered a case against Mustafa, Sultana, their daughter, and daughter-in-law for the alleged murder of Aqil at his Panchkula residence on October 16. The family had initially reported the death as a drug overdose, and Aqil’s body was cremated in his native village in Uttar Pradesh after a post-mortem.
The investigation took a dramatic turn after Shamshudeen Chaudhary, an acquaintance of the family, lodged a complaint based on Aqil’s video, which was posted on August 27. In the video, Aqil expressed immense mental distress, stating, “I have discovered my wife’s affair with my dad. My mother and sister are also part of the conspiracy,” and voiced fears for his life. Chaudhary’s complaint highlighted that Aqil’s sudden death seemed suspicious and aligned with his earlier concerns, prompting a call for an impartial investigation.
Adding to the complex narrative, Aqil had previously released another video alleging that his family falsely labelled him as mentally unstable to discredit him and had illegally confined him to a rehabilitation center. He claimed they threatened to frame him in false cases if he acted against them.
In a subsequent video, Aqil appeared to retract some of his statements, citing mental distress. However, the video abruptly ended with him expressing fear, asking, “Will they get me killed? They are all scoundrels.”
Responding to the FIR, Mohammad Mustafa dismissed the allegations as baseless, asserting that his son suffered from mental instability and drug addiction. He stated that Aqil had been admitted to rehabilitation centers multiple times and that the video was recorded during a period of poor mental health. Mustafa also pointed to a later video where Aqil reportedly contradicted his earlier claims.
Panchkula Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Srishti Gupta confirmed that the case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) concerning murder and criminal conspiracy. A five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to conduct a thorough and unbiased investigation.
Mohammad Mustafa retired from the Punjab Police in 2021 and later joined the Congress. His wife, Razia Sultana, served as a cabinet minister in Punjab from 2017 to 2022 and is a three-time MLA. Aqil Akhtar, who leaves behind his wife and two children, was reportedly living separately from his parents prior to his death.