A chilling case has emerged from Panchkula where the son of former Punjab Director General of Police Mohammad Mustafa, Aqil Akhtar, was found dead under suspicious circumstances. Haryana Police have now booked Mustafa, his wife and former minister Razia Sultana, along with their daughter and daughter-in-law, on charges of murder and criminal conspiracy.

Aqil, aged 35 and an advocate at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, was discovered unconscious at his residence in the Mansa Devi Complex on October 16. Although his family immediately took him to Civil Hospital, he was declared dead. Initial medical and police reports suggested no foul play, with the family attributing his death to a drug overdose or complications from medication. The post-mortem was conducted, and his body was handed over for last rites in his ancestral village in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

The case gained momentum following a complaint by Shamshuddin Chaudhary, a close acquaintance of the family from Malerkotla, Punjab. Chaudhary pointed to a social media video posted by Aqil in August, where the deceased voiced serious fears for his life and accused family members of conspiring against him. This prompted the police to register a formal FIR on October 20 under Sections 103(1) (murder) and 61 (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

In the video, Aqil shockingly revealed, “I have discovered my wife’s affair with my dad. I am in a lot of stress and mental trauma. I don’t know what to do. I feel every day that they will frame me in a false case.” He also accused his mother Razia and sister of being involved in a plot to either imprison him wrongfully or have him killed, stating, “Their plan is to have me falsely imprisoned or to have me killed.”

Victim Alleges Father’s Affair with Wife

Aqil further alleged that his father’s relationship with his wife existed before their marriage, saying, “The first day, she didn’t let me touch her. She did not marry me, she married my father.” Throughout his ordeal, he felt dismissed by his family, who branded his concerns as hallucinations. He recounted, “Whenever I give a valid argument, their narrative changes.”

The lawyer claimed that he was illegally confined in a rehabilitation center despite being sober, noting, “I was earlier in rehab. I was clean. This confinement was illegal because I was not intoxicated. If I was not mentally stable, I should have been taken to a doctor. But I was not.” He also expressed the distress of having his income taken away and the constant threats to have him framed in criminal cases if he opposed the family.

In a heartfelt plea, Aqil said, “Somebody, please help me. Somebody, please save me.” He also raised doubts about the paternity of his daughter. Yet, in a separate videov his face hidden he attributed his accusations to his schizophrenia, stating, “I was suffering from schizophrenia. Thanks to Allah, my family members are the way they are. I was unwell, so I did not understand anything. I am better now. I want to say sorry. Thank god I am blessed with such a family.” The video ended with him warning ominously, “Will they get me killed? They are all scoundrels.”

Panchkula’s Deputy Commissioner of Police, Srishti Gupta, confirmed the investigation is underway with a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under an ACP-rank officer. She emphasised that the probe will be conducted impartially and thoroughly: “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.”

Police Probe Aqil’s Digital and Forensic Evidence

The police are delving into all evidence, including Aqil’s social media activity, call records, forensic reports, and statements from family members and associates. Forensic analysis of viscera samples has been ordered, with results expected within a few months.

Aqil leaves behind his wife, who is a homemaker, and their two young children aged five and seven. His father, Mohammad Mustafa, retired from the Punjab Police in 2021 and later entered politics with the Congress party. Razia Sultana, his mother, is a prominent Congress politician who served as a cabinet minister and represented Malerkotla as MLA for three terms until she lost the 2022 state election.

The complainant, Shamshuddin, highlighted the tense and troubled relationship between Aqil and his family, urging the authorities to ensure a transparent and unbiased investigation, given the serious allegations and Aqil’s repeated warnings about threats to his life.