Ex-Top Cop's Son Who Died Last Week Alleged Father-Wife Affair, Then Denied

A former Punjab minister and her husband, a former top cop, have been charged with the murder of their son, days after the 33-year-old was found dead under mysterious circumstances. The days following Aqil Akhtar's death have brought shocking allegations to the fore, including those of an affair between his father and his wife.

Aqil, son of former Director General of Police Mohammed Mustafa and former Punjab minister and Congress leader Razia Sultana, was found unconscious at his Panchkula residence late on Thursday. His family members rushed him to a hospital, where he was declared dead. The family said Aqil died due to a drug overdose. Police said preliminary findings suggest he may have suffered health complications after he consumed some medicine.

But the emergence of videos recorded by Aqil and a family friend's account has added a shocking twist to the investigation.

In the video reportedly recorded in August, Aqil alleged that his father and his wife were having an affair. "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 everyday that they will frame me in a false case," he said in the video.

Aqil alleged that his mother Razia and his sister are part of the conspiracy against him. "Their plan is to have me falsely imprisoned or to have me killed," he said. The 33-year-old said in the video that he suspects that his father knew his wife before his wedding. "The first day, she didn't let me touch her. She did not marry me, she married my father."

Aqil said in the video that his family members often told him that he was hallucinating and delusional. "Whenever I give a valid argument, their narrative changes," he said. The family then sent Aqil to a rehabilitation centre. "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."

"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 said, adding that the family also snatched away his money.

Aqil said his family was trying to protect its image by claiming that 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.

"Somebody, please help me. Somebody, please save me," Aqil said. He also says he doesn't know if his daughter is actually his.

In another video, Aqil says that whatever allegations he had made against his family members were due to his mental illness. "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. Let's see what happens," he is heard saying. During this entire time, his face can't be seen in the video. When it reappears, he suddenly says, "Will they get me killed? They are all scoundrels."  

Srishti Gupta, Deputy Commissioner of Police, said they had initially not suspected any "foul play" in Aqil's death. "A complaint was received which said the family members played a role in his death. And the social media posts of Akhil Akhtar, some videos, some photographs, also raised some suspicions, based on which the FIR was filed," she said.

Asked about the complainant, the senior police officer said Shamsuddin is a close acquaintance of the family. Police, she said, are also investigating Aqil's video. The officer said a Special Investigation Team has been formed to look at the allegations against Mohammed Mustafa and Razia Sultana and Aqil's wife and his sister.

Razia Sultana, former MLA from Malerkotla, served as a cabinet minister in the Congress government in Punjab from 2017-2022. She lost in Malerkotla in the 2022 state polls.