How the mysterious death of the 33-year-old son of a former Punjab cop is unravelling

It began as a tragedy, and quickly turned into a scandal that has shaken Punjab.

Aqil Akhtar, the 33-year-old son of former Punjab DGP Mohammad Mustafa and ex-minister Razia Sultana, was found dead at his home in Panchkula’s upscale Mansa Devi Complex earlier this month.

But what first appeared to be a sudden, private loss has now spiralled into a shocking case.

Within days of Aqil’s death, a series of disturbing videos he recorded before his passing surfaced online, videos in which he levelled explosive allegations, including claims of a relationship between his father and his wife.

Those startling claims have since become central to a police investigation that now accuses both his parents of murder.

Here’s how the case unfolded.

What happened?

Earlier this month, Aqil was discovered unconscious at his home in Panchkula by his family. He was immediately taken to the Civil Hospital in Sector 6, where doctors declared him brought dead.

Police recorded the family’s statements and found no initial signs of foul play. The body was released to the family after the post-mortem the next day.

While the family claimed that Aqil, who reportedly had schizophrenia, had died from a drug overdose, police said preliminary findings suggested he might have suffered health complications after consuming some medicine.

The family then took his body to their native village in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh , where the last rites were performed.

Mohammad Mustafa retired from the Punjab Police in 2021 and later joined the Congress. His wife, Razia Sultana, is also a prominent Congress politician who was elected three times as an MLA from Malerkotla.

The case took an unexpected turn after a video recorded by Aqil and statements from a family friend, Shamshudeen Chaudhary, came to light, indicating that he had been struggling with deep emotional distress and feared for his life.

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What did Aqil claim in the video?

In a series of videos recorded before his death, Aqil made explosive claims that have now become the centre of the investigation into his death.

In one of the videos, Aqil accused his father, Mohammad Mustafa, of having an illicit relationship with his wife. He also alleged that his mother, Razia Sultana, and his sister were involved in a conspiracy to either kill him or falsely implicate him in a criminal case.

“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,” Aqil said in the video.

He went on to allege that his family members were plotting against him. “Their plan is to have me falsely imprisoned or to have me killed,” he said, claiming that his father knew his wife even before his marriage. “The first day, she didn’t let me touch her. She did not marry me, she married my father,” he said.

Aqil further mentioned that his family repeatedly dismissed his concerns by calling him delusional. “Whenever I give a valid argument, their narrative changes,” he said, adding that he was sent to a rehabilitation centre despite being sober. “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.”

Expressing helplessness, Aqil said, “I am stressed all the time. I don’t know what to do. Should I clear my Bar exam and then file for a protection petition?”

He also alleged that his family had taken away his money and tried to discredit him by claiming he was “mad”. “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, pleading, “Somebody, please help me. Somebody, please save me.”

According to a Hindustan Times report, Aqil is survived by his wife, a homemaker, and their two children, a seven-year-old daughter and a five-year-old son.

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What’s next?

Following Aqil’s complaint and the revelations in his social media posts, the MDC police station registered an FIR against the former DGP, his wife, their daughter, and daughter-in-law in connection with his death.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Srishti Gupta confirmed that the case has been filed under Section 103(1) (murder) and Section 61 (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

To ensure a fair and thorough investigation, a special investigation team (SIT) has been set up under the supervision of an ACP-rank officer.

DCP Gupta stated that the SIT will carry out the probe “with an open mind and without any prejudice, with the aim of ensuring that no guilty person is spared and no innocent person suffers.”

With input from agencies