Punjab ex-DGP, wife booked in son’s death; family cites 18-year drug battle

Haryana Police have booked former Punjab Director General of Police Mohammad Mustafa and his wife, ex-Congress MLA Razia Sultana, along with their son’s wife and sister, for the alleged murder of their 35-year-old son Aqil Akhtar. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to probe the case.

Mustafa, a decorated IPS officer and four-time President’s Police Medal recipient, denied the allegations, saying his son was a drug addict for 18 years and had developed severe mental illness. “He died after injecting buprenorphine in overdose, as per the initial police probe. Since 2007, we sought treatment for him at multiple centres, including PGIMER Chandigarh, but he repeatedly relapsed. He even once set our house on fire,” Mustafa said.

The incident came to light after Aqil, an advocate, was found dead at his Panchkula residence on October 16. Initially, no foul play was suspected, and the body was handed over to the family after a post-mortem. However, a complaint filed on October 20 by one Shamshudin Chaudhary, citing social media videos in which Aqil alleged threats from his family, led police to register an FIR under Sections 103(1) (murder) and 61 (criminal conspiracy).

In the videos, Aqil reportedly expressed fear that his family would falsely implicate or harm him, though in another, he acknowledged his illness and praised his family.

Mustafa described Chaudhary as a politically motivated complainant with ties to the Aam Aadmi Party, dismissing the FIR as “dirty politicking.” Sultana and her daughter Nishat Akhtar also condemned the complaint, calling it an attempt to malign the family while they grieve the loss of their son.

Police confirmed that viscera samples have been sent for forensic analysis to determine the substance consumed, with results expected in two to three months. Mustafa reiterated that the family has always been open to investigation, citing years of documented treatment for Aqil’s addiction and past incidents of aggression linked to his drug use.

“The tragedy of losing our son has been compounded by unfounded allegations and political maneuvering. We are ready for a thorough probe, but the truth must emerge,” Mustafa said.