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Panchkula: In a shocking development, former Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Mohammad Mustafa and his wife, Punjab former minister Razia Sultana, have been booked on charges of murder and criminal conspiracy in connection with the death of their 35-year-old son, Aakil Akhtar. The Panchkula police have also set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case.

Akhtar, who was an advocate at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, was found dead at his residence in Sector 4, MDC (Modern Housing Complex), Panchkula, on October 16. Initially treated as a case of sudden death, the matter took a dramatic turn after purported videos and social media posts made by Akhtar before his death surfaced, hinting at personal disputes and expressing fears for his life.

FIR under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita

Four days after his death, on October 20, police registered a First Information Report (FIR) under Sections 103(1) (punishment for murder) and 61 (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the MDC police station in Panchkula.
Those named in the FIR include Mustafa, Sultana, Akhtar’s wife, and his sister, police said.

Initial probe found no foul play.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Srishti Gupta, after Akhtar was found unresponsive at his residence, his family had informed the police. “Their statements were recorded, and since no foul play was initially suspected, a post-mortem examination was conducted before the body was handed over for last rites,” the DCP said.

However, the case took a new turn when on October 17, the Panchkula police received a formal complaint from one Shamshuddin, a resident of Malerkotla, Punjab, alleging that Akhtar’s death was not natural and that there had been foul play. Taking cognisance of the complaint and the contents of the social media posts, the police registered the FIR and began a deeper probe.

SIT to ensure “impartial and evidence-based” probe

DCP Gupta confirmed that an SIT has been constituted under the supervision of an officer of ACP rank to ensure a “thorough, impartial, and evidence-based investigation.”
The SIT will examine all electronic evidence, including the videos allegedly recorded by the deceased, the family’s statements, and forensic findings, sources said.

Last rites and forensic examination

Akhtar, the only son of Mustafa and Sultana, was found unconscious in his bedroom by family members, who immediately rushed him to the Civil Hospital in Sector 6, where doctors declared him brought dead.

His last rites were performed at his ancestral village, Harda Kheri, in Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh.

Police officials said viscera samples have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to identify any substance that Akhtar might have consumed. The report, they added, is expected in two to three months.

Mohammad Mustafa, a 1992-batch IPS officer, had served as Punjab’s Director General of Police (Intelligence) before his retirement. His wife, Razia Sultana, is a senior Congress leader and a former minister in the Charanjit Singh Channi government.

The couple’s son, Aakil Akhtar, practised law in the Punjab and Haryana High Court and was known to have been active in social and political circles in Chandigarh and Punjab. As the investigation unfolds, the case has sent shockwaves through the political and police fraternity in Punjab, with senior officials calling for a transparent and fact-based probe into the circumstances leading to Akhtar’s death.