Mohammad Mustafa, the former Director General of Police (DGP) in Punjab, has strongly refuted the claims of murder and criminal conspiracy against him and his family in connection with the death of his son, Aqil Akhtar. The former police chief said that his 35-year-old son died from a heroin overdose, after a fight with addiction that lasted over 20 years.
The Haryana Police filed a FIR naming Mustafa, his wife and former minister Razia Sultana, their daughter, and their daughter-in-law after Aqil was found unconscious at his home in Panchkula on October 16th and died when he got to the hospital.
Grief and Defiance: “The Worst Grief a Father Can Bear”
In an emotional interview with media, the retired IPS officer said that his loss was the “greatest grief a father can bear.” He also said that he and his family could not be to blame for the death.
“A father can’t feel worse than losing his only son…” Mustafa asked what the charges were about, saying, “No matter what mistakes a child makes, a father always protects them from the world.” “Have you ever heard of a father killing his own child? This isn’t a murder case. People are attempting to make it political, which is sad.
He called the claims a “politically motivated conspiracy” to hurt him and his “high-profile family.” He stressed that the accusations have forced him to bury the heartbroken father and become a soldier. “I have buried the father inside me,” he said, “and now I will face the accusations like a soldier.”
The Long Fight Against Addiction
Mustafa said that his son’s long battle with drug addiction has ruined the family’s emotional health. He went into detail about how bad the problem was and how long it had been going on—18 years.
“My kid had been addicted to drugs for 18 years. I took him to a number of different clinics for treatment. “I even locked him in the room for two to three days,” he said, adding that he had tried all he could think of to assist Aqil get better. He remarked, “In Punjab, drug abuse among young people is out of control,” drawing a comparison to the problem in the area. My son fought addiction for 18 years… I am one of the unlucky fathers who had to deal with this awful scenario.
Claims of political conspiracy and police action
The former DGP went after the complainant, Shamsuddin Chaudhary, calling him a “pawn of a politician” who was being used to take advantage of the family’s sorrow. The complaint was submitted when recordings and social media posts came out that said Aqil was being held prisoner and had made serious accusations against his family before he died.
Mustafa was happy that the FIR was filed under laws connected to murder and criminal conspiracy. He said he would fully cooperate with the investigation. He said, “If I am guilty, I am ready to be hanged.”
Meanwhile, Shrishti Gupta, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in Panchkula, confirmed that the FIR had been filed and that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had been formed. She said that the probe would be thorough and would look at medical and forensic data as well as digital information, such as the video that has been the subject of so much debate. The police’s actions came when the case took a shocking turn, even though an early investigation found no signs of foul play at the home.