A family tragedy that initially seemed like a natural death has turned into one of Punjab&rsquo;s most shocking murder investigations, following the surfacing of social media posts and videos that hinted at a sinister twist.
The Haryana Police on Tuesday filed a case against former Punjab director general of police (DGP) Mohammad Mustafa and his wife, former minister Razia Sultana, for the alleged murder of their 35-year-old son, Aqil Akhtar, in Panchkula.
What was first recorded as a case with no suspicion took a dramatic turn after Aqil&rsquo;s old social media posts resurfaced online, suggesting threats to his life. 
This prompted the authorities to reopen the investigation.
According to police officials, Aqil was discovered unconscious at his home in Sector 4, Mansa Devi Complex, on the night of October 16. 
He was taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.&nbsp;
His family had claimed he died of a drug overdose. 
Following a post-mortem, the body was handed over to the family, who performed the last rites in their native village in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
The situation changed drastically when Shamshudeen Chaudhary, a resident of Malerkotla and an acquaintance of the family, held a press conference revealing Aqil&rsquo;s August social media post. 
The post contained serious allegations against his family members, including claims of an affair between his father and wife, and fears that his family intended to harm him.
In one of the videos recorded weeks before his death, Aqil reportedly said, &ldquo;I have discovered my wife&rsquo;s affair with my dad. I&rsquo;m under immense stress and trauma&hellip; I feel they will frame me in a false case.&rdquo;
He also alleged that his mother, Razia Sultana, and sister were part of the conspiracy, saying, &ldquo;Their plan is to have me falsely imprisoned or killed.&rdquo;
Aqil further stated that his family had labelled him mentally unstable and sent him to a rehabilitation centre against his will. 
&ldquo;This confinement was illegal because I wasn&rsquo;t intoxicated&hellip; They threatened to frame me in a rape or murder case if I took action against them,&rdquo; he said in the video.
Although Aqil later released another video retracting his earlier claims and attributing them to mental illness, it ended abruptly with him saying, &ldquo;Will they get me killed? They are all scoundrels.&rdquo;
These revelations sparked public outrage and renewed suspicion over Aqil&rsquo;s death. 
Acting on Chaudhary&rsquo;s complaint and the content of the social media posts, the Panchkula Police registered an FIR against Mustafa, Sultana, their daughter, and daughter-in-law under Sections 103(1) (murder) and 61 (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Panchkula deputy commissioner of police Srishti Gupta confirmed the development, saying, &ldquo;A complaint alleged that the family played a role in the death. The social media posts and videos raised suspicion, leading to the FIR.&rdquo;
She added that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by an assistant commissioner of police (ACP)-rank officer has been formed to ensure a &ldquo;thorough, unbiased, and evidence-based probe.&rdquo;
&ldquo;The SIT will investigate with an open mind to ensure that no guilty person escapes justice and no innocent person suffers,&rdquo; Gupta said.
Mohammad Mustafa retired as Punjab DGP in 2021 and later joined the Congress. 
His wife, Razia Sultana, a senior Congress leader, has been elected three times as an MLA from Malerkotla and served as a cabinet minister between 2017 and 2022.

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October 21, 2025 | 16:41 IST