SIT seeks records from Patiala rehab in death of ex-DGP Mustafa’s son

The special investigation team (SIT) probing the death of Aqil Akhtar, son of former Punjab DGP (Human Rights) Mohammad Mustafa and former Cabinet Minister Razia Sultana, visited a de-addiction centre in Patiala today to collect the details of the medical history and treatment records of the deceased.

Sources said the members of the SIT team reached the facility to verify the nature and duration of Aqil’s treatment for substance dependency and mental health issues. The SIT has sought his admission records, doctors’ notes, prescribed medication and progress reports to assess his long-term condition.

Earlier refraining to comment for days, Mohammad Mustafa said he had always been a soldier first and would fight back the “false allegations” levelled against his family.

In an interview to a TV channel, Mustafa said, “My son had been battling drug addiction since 2007. It has been 18 years of struggle. Aqil had been in and out of several de-addiction centres. In 2024, he came across ‘Ice’ (methamphetamine), which triggered schizophrenia and psychotic behavior in him which worsened his condition.” He further clarified that on the night Aqil passed away, they (Razia and Mustafa) were discussing at the dinner table to take him to Sunam’s de-addiction centre (Akal De-Addiction and Rehabilitation Centre, Cheema, Sangrur), even if it cost three times more, to get him proper treatment.”

Mustafa added that he had anticipated attempts to target his family because of their public stature and had, therefore, “voluntarily permitted a post-mortem examination” to ensure transparency. “We have done nothing wrong, and the truth will be out in a few days. The case is with the Haryana Police, and any political rivals claiming influence will be silenced by facts,” he said.

Commenting on the video cited by complainant Shamshudeen Chaudhary, Mustafa clarified that it had been downloaded from Aqil’s social media. “He recorded it on August 27 when we were not even in Panchkula. Aqil was not in a sound mental state then, something he later admitted in another video,” he added.

Meanwhile, the viscera report is awaited to confirm the cause of the death. The SIT has also served a notice to seal Aqil’s room in Panchkula for forensic inspection. The police will also search for Aqil’s alleged diary, which the complainant claims contains his “dying declaration”. However, all this would be possible once the family will be back from Saharanpur, where they took Aqil for burial in their ancestral village.