Chandigarh, 21 Oct

Punjab's former director general of police Mohammad Mustafa and his wife, Razia Sultana, a former state minister, have been booked for murdering their son, Haryana Police said.

Akil Akhter, an advocate, died in Haryana's Panchkula on Thursday. Also booked in the case are Akhter's wife and sister.

The FIR was registered on 20 October under Sections 103 (1) and 61, which deal with murder and criminal conspiracy charges, after a man named Shamshuddin, in a complaint, alleged foul play in the death, saying Akhter died under "suspicious circumstances", the police said.

They have been booked based on Shamshuddin's complaint, which alleged Akhter had recorded a video levelling serious allegations against his family, they said.

According to Panchkula DCP Srishti Gupta, on 16 October, Akhter, a resident of Sector 4, MDC, Panchkula, was found dead at his residence. The family intimated the police, and said that when they opened the room, he was found dead.

The complainant in the case has given an account of the purported video recorded by Akhter in August, in which he has levelled serious allegations against his father and other family members.

Mustafa, a retired 1985-batch IPS officer, served as Punjab Human Rights Commission DGP, while his wife was a minister in the previous Congress government in Punjab.

Mustafa or his wife could not immediately be reached for their comments.

Akhter, while referring to matters about the family, said in the purported video that he had been going through a lot of stress and mental trauma because of this.

"I feel they will frame me in a false case... They plan to have me falsely imprisoned or even killed, but they are unable to have their way," he said in the video.

He also alleged that his family members often told him that he was delusional and was hallucinating. "They are trying to establish a false narrative," he alleged.

Meanwhile, seeking an immediate investigation into the case, the complainant, Shamshuddin, alleged there was "simmering discontent" between the deceased and his family.

The complainant mentioned that the deceased posted a video on social media, wherein he levelled serious allegations pertaining to family-related matters.

"On 27 August, Aqil Akhter had publicly posted a video on social media wherein he made very serious allegations against his father and his own wife," Shamshuddin alleged, adding that Akhter clearly expressed apprehension that his life was in danger.

However, in a recent purported video, Akhter said, "I had posted a video earlier, in which I said many things. It was due to my mental illness... I am blessed with such a good family."

"In view of his (Akhter's) prior video statement and the serious allegations made therein, the cause of death requires a thorough, fair, and impartial investigation," Shamshuddin said in his police complaint.

DCP Gupta said, "No foul play was initially suspected, and the body was handed over to the family for last rites after a post-mortem examination."

Subsequently, certain social media posts and videos surfaced, purportedly made by the deceased before his death, alleging personal disputes and apprehensions about threats to his life, she said, according to a Haryana Police statement.

"On 17 October, a complaint was received from Shri Shamshuddin of Malerkotla, Punjab, alleging foul play in the incident," she said, while adding the complainant told the police that he knows the family quite well.

The DCP said that in view of the complaint and the contents of the social media posts, "an FIR dated October 20 under Section 103(1), 61 BNS has been registered at Police Station MDC, Panchkula." The DCP further added that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted under the supervision of an ACP-rank officer. The SIT will conduct a deep and scientific probe into all aspects surrounding the case, she said.

"It is reiterated that the investigation shall be conducted with an open mind and without any prejudice, ensuring that no guilty person is spared and no innocent person suffers. The Panchkula Police remains committed to upholding transparency and justice in this matter," the police statement said.