Former Punjab Police chief Mohammed Mustafa has alleged a conspiracy behind what he called targeting of his family after the death of his 33-year-old son under mysterious circumstances. His wife and Congress leader Razia Sultana, was a minister in the Punjab government.
"The police are duty bound to file FIR especially in high-profile cases. They will later check if the allegations are true or false. But they have to do their duty. I welcome the SIT," Mustafa told NDTV on Tuesday, referring to a special investigation team that will look into the case.
"I knew we were so-called high-profile individuals. I also know the dirty deeds that our rivals can do and the extent to which they can go," he said.
The couple's son, Aqil Akhtar, was found unconscious at his Panchkula house last week, after which his family rushed him to a hospital where he was declared dead.
The family said Aqil died due to a drug overdose.
Mustafa said questions should be asked to the complainant in the case, Shamsuddin, who claimed to be his neighbour but was the personal assistant to an MLA.
"Right now I am at my village. But my house is in an isolated place and I have no neighbours. How is he my neighbour then? In 25 years, he met me in 2019 when a case was filed against him for bank fraud. He came for help. But I never help anyone do the wrong thing. That's why I fight with the entire world... How can he claim I tortured my child?" Mustafa said.
The emergence of videos recorded by Aqil and a family friend's account had 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, and alleged that his mother Razia and his sister are part of the conspiracy against him.
"People don't like postmortem, especially among Muslims. Even my family objected to it. But I told them my son's video was viral and people took advantage, so I will get the postmortem done," Mustafa said.
"I was adamant about getting the postmortem done, and in the preliminary report that I got, it mentioned suspected overdose. There were injection marks in both arms. They have taken samples for forensic investigation," he said.
He alleged his son for the last 18 years has been "a victim of this disease that has taken the lives of many young people."
"My son used to study in one of the best schools in the country... He started with soft drugs - weed, ganja. He fell into bad company with a friend from Jammu. He became very aggressive over time. There are also documented cases, which are part of the Punjab Police record. There are two cases in Panchkula. In 2024, he became very violent, he did some things that I came to know the next morning, my daughter-in-law was half dead, I called the police commissioner and gave him to them along with a report of 18 years of his deeds," Mustafa said.
"But everyone got upset. In two hours the policeman in me died and I became a father again. I brought him back by evening as everyone was crying. One day my son set my room on fire. He was high on something. Our cook was injured and was taken to hospital. That day too we had reported it to the police. He was deep into drugs," the former top cop told NDTV.
"In 2019, he took medical drugs and also demanded money from his mother. She did not listen to him. He then threw a huge stone on a glass table. Luckily my guards were there. If you have a child, no matter what the child does, even if the child cuts your leg, after an hour you will feel sorry because the father in you will take over... He was aggressive; he used to hit cops. I had to seek forgiveness from police personnel he hit," Mustafa said.
In the video, 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."
On questions over his son's video, Mustafa said another video also surfaced which the media did not show properly.
"In that video, my son is heard saying his family kept him alive, that had he been in any other family, he would have been kicked out a long time again," Mustafa said. "I couldn't kick him out of the house because he is our son," he said.
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.
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