Chandigarh (Haryana) [India], November 5 (HBTV): The Haryana government has referred the case registered against former Punjab Director General of Police (Human Rights) Mohammad Mustafa, his wife and former Congress minister Razia Sultana, their daughter, and daughter-in-law to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a detailed probe into the death of their son, Aqil Akhtar.
An official said that the Centre’s consent has been sought to extend the CBI’s jurisdiction to Haryana for investigating the case. Once the central government issues the order, the CBI will formally take over the investigation.
The case was initially registered by the Panchkula Police on October 20 under Sections 103(1) (murder) and 61 (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against Mustafa, a retired 1985-batch IPS officer, and his family members. Officials stated that the decision to hand over the probe to the CBI was taken due to the sensitive nature of the case, the seriousness of the allegations, and the involvement of multiple state jurisdictions.
Aqil Akhtar, 35, was found unconscious at his residence in Sector 4, Mansa Devi Complex, Panchkula, on the night of October 16 and was later declared dead at the civil hospital. Initially, no foul play was suspected, and the body was handed over to the family after the post-mortem. However, a case was later registered following a complaint by Shamsuddin Chaudhary of Malerkotla, who alleged foul play, citing a video Aqil had posted in August expressing a threat to his life.
Reacting to the developments, Mohammad Mustafa said that he and his family were ready to cooperate fully with the investigation. Currently at their native place in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, the family plans to visit Malerkotla for a prayer meeting on October 25 and return to Panchkula the following day.
In an interview with ANI, Mustafa described his son’s death as the ‘greatest grief a father can bear’, claiming that Aqil had been struggling with drug addiction for 18 years and had likely died due to an overdose. Dismissing allegations of murder, he termed them ‘petty politics’.
‘There is no greater pain for a father than losing his only son. My son struggled with drug addiction for 18 years. Some people are trying to exploit this tragedy for their political motives. I welcome the case against me; I have nothing to hide,’ Mustafa said.
He further alleged that the complainant, Shamsuddin Chaudhary, was being used as a ‘pawn by a politician’. Mustafa added, ‘If I am guilty, I am ready to be hanged, but I will cooperate with every stage of investigation. The truth must come out.’
With the Haryana government formally referring the matter, the CBI is expected to take over the probe soon, bringing the high-profile case involving the former Punjab DGP and his family under the federal agency’s jurisdiction.
(ANI)