Former Punjab Director General of Police, Mohammad Mustafa, has vehemently dismissed all accusations against him and his family concerning the tragic death of his son, calling them ‘completely false’.
Speaking to the press in Saharanpur on Tuesday (October 21, 2025), the former top police official stated he welcomes the police case filed against himself and his wife, former Punjab Minister Razia Sultana. He expressed confidence that the ongoing investigation would ultimately ‘reveal the truth’ about the incident.
Mr. Mustafa, a retired 1985-batch IPS officer, and Ms. Sultana are currently facing charges related to the death of their 35-year-old son, Aqil Akhter. The incident occurred at Akhter’s home in Panchkula, Haryana, on October 16. Additionally, Akhter’s wife and sister have also been implicated in the case.
Initially, the family attributed his death to a drug overdose. Subsequently, his body was laid to rest in their ancestral village of Harda Kheri, Saharanpur.
Addressing a video allegedly featuring his son, where serious allegations were made against Mr. Mustafa and other family members, the former DGP explained that Aqil had been battling a psychotic disorder for almost 18 years, alongside a struggle with substance abuse.
“Due to his illness, he frequently exhibited violent behavior,” Mr. Mustafa told reporters, emphasizing the years of emotional distress his family had endured.
He further elaborated, “His mental state deteriorated to such an extent that he was often unaware of his own words or actions.”
Mr. Mustafa recounted an incident in 2008 where Akhter allegedly broke his mother’s hip, which the family concealed by claiming she suffered a fall. He also stated that on another occasion, his son attempted to assault his wife.
“As public figures, we tried to keep these private struggles hidden,” he explained, “but now, it’s imperative that the full truth comes to light.”
Regarding Akhter’s video, Mr. Mustafa mentioned that his son had uploaded it to social media on August 27 but deleted it within two hours. He alleged that certain individuals had downloaded the video and were now “misusing it to tarnish the family’s reputation.”
Mr. Mustafa reiterated his full support for the establishment of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case, promising complete cooperation “to ensure the truth is fully uncovered.”
He also explicitly rejected the accusations made by Shamshuddin, a resident of Malerkotla, Punjab, whose complaint led to the registration of the FIR, branding them as “entirely baseless.”
The former DGP further claimed that some parties were attempting to undermine his political standing.
He confirmed that his son’s post-mortem was performed at his insistence, but the official report remains unreleased.
In the controversial video, Akhter can be heard discussing family matters and expressing that he was under immense stress.
“I fear they will falsely implicate me… Their intention is to have me wrongly imprisoned or even murdered, but they haven’t succeeded,” he alleged in the recording.
He further claimed that his family frequently dismissed his concerns, telling him he was delusional and hallucinating. “They are actively constructing a false narrative,” he asserted.