Social Media Posts Trigger Murder Case Against Former Punjab DGP and Ex-Minister After Son’s Death

In a shocking twist, the death of 35-year-old Aqil Akhtar, son of former Punjab Director General of Police Mohammad Mustafa and ex-minister Razia Sultana, has escalated into a murder investigation against the high-profile couple and two family members. Haryana Police registered an FIR on October 20 after Aqil’s social media posts—alleging threats and conspiracies by his family—surfaced online.

Aqil was found unconscious at his residence in the Mansa Devi Complex area of Panchkula on October 16 and was declared dead at the Civil Hospital in Sector 6. Initially, his family attributed his death to a suspected drug overdose. However, the case took a dramatic turn when police recovered video and written posts from Aqil’s social media accounts, in which he claimed that his father was having an affair with his wife and accused his mother and sister of plotting to kill him. He said he feared for his life and warned that his death should not be dismissed as suicide or overdose.

Following a formal complaint by Shamshudeen Chaudhary from Malerkotla—who submitted screenshots of Aqil’s posts—the Panchkula Police filed a case under Sections 103(1) (murder) and 61 (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The FIR names Mustafa, Sultana, their daughter, and daughter-in-law as accused.

A five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by an ACP-level officer has been constituted to probe the case. Investigators are examining Aqil’s digital records, call details, and online statements to verify his claims. Panchkula DCP Srishti Gupta said the probe will be “fair and impartial” and that “no one guilty will be spared.”

Mustafa has strongly denied the allegations, calling them “false and malicious.” He claimed Aqil was mentally unstable and struggled with drug addiction, adding that the videos were made during periods of emotional distress. The family insists that the death was accidental.

Aqil, who had been living separately from his parents, is survived by his wife and two children aged five and seven. The case, driven by a series of disturbing social media revelations, has stunned Punjab’s political and police circles, turning what appeared to be a family tragedy into a sensational murder investigation.