How son's social media posts led to murder case against ex-Punjab DGP, ex-minister | Shocking twist

AFellowship tragedy that ab initio appeared to be a cancel dying has turned come out to be one of Punjab's most sensational murder probes in recent times, thanks to a series of social media posts and videos that surfaced after the incident.The Haryana Police on Tuesday booked former Punjab director general of police (DGP) Mohammad Mustafa and his wife, former minister Razia Sultana, for the alleged murder of their 35-year-old son, Aqil Akhtar, in Panchkula, HT reported earlier.The case, which was initially closed without suspicion, took a stunning turn when Aqil’s old social media posts hinting at threats to his life went viral, forcing investigators to reopen the file.According to police, Aqil was found unconscious by his family at his Sector 4 home in the Mansa Devi Complex area on the night of October 16.He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead. His family claimed he had died due to a drug overdose, and his body was handed over after a post-mortem the following day. The last rites were performed in his native village in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh.But what seemed like a personal tragedy soon turned into a suspected murder case. The twist came when Shamshudeen Chaudhary, a resident of Malerkotla and a family acquaintance, held a press conference citing Aqil’s August social media post. The post contained explosive allegations against his family members, including claims that his father and wife were having an affair, and stated that he feared for his life.“I have discovered my wife's affair with my dad. I am in a lot of stress and mental trauma… I feel every day that they will frame me in a false case,” Aqil had said in one of the videos reportedly recorded weeks before his death, NDTV reported.He further alleged that his mother, Razia Sultana, and sister were “part of the conspiracy” against him, saying, “Their plan is to have me falsely imprisoned or to have me killed.” Labelled him as ‘mentally unstable’In another post, Aqil claimed that his family labelled him as mentally unstable and sent him to a rehabilitation centre against his will. “This confinement was illegal because I was not intoxicated… They threaten me that if I take any step against them, they will get me framed in a rape or a murder case,” he said in the video, the report added.The revelations shocked the public and reignited suspicion around his death. Acting on Chaudhary’s complaint and the contents of the social media posts, the Panchkula Police registered an FIR under Sections 103(1) (murder) and 61 (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against Mustafa, Sultana, their daughter, and daughter-in-law.Panchkula deputy commissioner of Police Srishti Gupta confirmed the developments, saying, “A complaint was received which said the family members played a role in his death. The social media posts, videos, and photographs raised suspicion, based on which the FIR was filed.”She added that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by an ACP-rank officer has been constituted to ensure “a thorough, impartial, and evidence-based probe".“The SIT will investigate with an open mind and without prejudice, ensuring no guilty person is spared and no innocent person suffers,” Gupta said.Aqil, who leaves behind his wife and two young children, had in one of his later videos appeared to retract his earlier statements, attributing them to mental illness. Yet, even that video ended abruptly with him saying, “Will they get me killed? They are all scoundrels.”About Mohammad MustafaMohammad Mustafa, a 2021-retired Punjab DGP, later joined the Congress, while his wife Razia Sultana is a three-time MLA from Malerkotla and served as a cabinet minister between 2017 and 2022.With inputs from Brijender GaurShare