Family members, including former minister Razia Sultana and ex-DGP Mohammad Mustafa, booked after explosive video resurfaces
CHANDIGARH: In a dramatic twist to a case that has shaken Punjab’s political and police circles, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over the probe into the mysterious death of former Punjab DGP Mohammad Mustafa’s son, Aqil Akhtar. The 35-year-old lawyer was found dead under suspicious circumstances at his upscale residence in Panchkula’s MDC Sector 4 on October 16.
What initially appeared to be a drug overdose has now spiraled into a sensational murder investigation, after a video surfaced in which Aqil accused his own family — including his father, mother and wife — of plotting to kill him.
Acting on a request from the Haryana government, the CBI formally registered an FIR against Mustafa, his wife and former minister Razia Sultana, son’s wife Zainab Akhtar, and daughter Nishat Akhtar. The FIR, filed under Sections 103(1) (murder) and 61 (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), came after the central agency took charge from the Haryana Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Thursday night. All case files, forensic samples, and digital evidence have been handed over to the CBI.
According to police records, Aqil — a practicing advocate at the Punjab and Haryana High Court — was found unconscious in his bedroom on the night of October 16. Family members rushed him to a nearby civil hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
The postmortem was inconclusive, prompting authorities to send viscera samples for chemical analysis. The family had maintained that Aqil’s death was the tragic culmination of his long battle with substance abuse and psychotic illness, problems they claim he had struggled with for nearly two decades.
The turning point came when a 16-minute video, posted by Aqil on August 27 — nearly two months before his death — resurfaced online. In the clip, a visibly distressed Aqil made stunning allegations that his father, Mohammad Mustafa, was having an illicit affair with his wife, Zainab. He further claimed that his mother Razia and sister Nishat were aware of the affair and were part of a conspiracy to eliminate him.
“They are plotting to frame me in a false case or kill me outright,” Aqil said in the video, alleging his family was trying to brand him “mad” to silence him. The post was deleted soon after, but a family acquaintance, Shamshudeen Chaudhary of Malerkotla, downloaded the video and later filed a complaint, which led to the registration of the case on October 17.
However, another video surfaced after Aqil’s death — this time showing him retracting his earlier claims, calling them delusions linked to his schizophrenia and praising his family’s support. This conflicting footage has deepened the mystery, leaving investigators to determine whether Aqil’s retraction was genuine or coerced.
Sources said the CBI is now re-examining phone records, social media accounts, and handwriting samples from Aqil’s university to verify diary entries suspected to contain a suicide note. Officials are also awaiting viscera results that could determine whether his death was caused by poisoning or overdose.
The agency’s probe follows a week of intense scrutiny of the Panchkula SIT’s initial handling of the case, amid demands for a neutral investigation given the stature of those involved.
The case has cast a harsh spotlight on one of Punjab’s most influential political couples. Mohammad Mustafa, a 1985-batch IPS officer and recipient of five President’s Police Medals for Gallantry, served in several militancy-hit districts before heading Punjab’s Special Task Force on Drugs and later retiring as DGP (Human Rights) in 2021. Known for his uncompromising style, he entered politics through the Congress, becoming a close ally of former Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh.
His wife Razia Sultana, a three-time MLA from Malerkotla, served as Cabinet Minister for Water Supply and Sanitation under Amarinder Singh and remained one of the Congress’s most prominent Muslim leaders. She had resigned in 2021 in solidarity with Navjot Singh Sidhu amid internal party rifts.
Mustafa described the FIR as “politically motivated,” accusing complainant Shamshudeen Chaudhary of being aligned with the Aam Aadmi Party.
“I could face terrorists, but not this pain,” Mustafa said during a media interaction in Saharanpur, where Aqil’s funeral was held. “We fought 18 years of hell with my son’s addiction. The truth will come out, and we will fully cooperate with the CBI.”
Zainab Akhtar, Aqil’s widow and former Chairperson of the Punjab Waqf Board, has also spoken publicly, calling the accusations a “hate campaign” and urging restraint.
