The death of Aqil Akhtar-son of former Punjab DGP Mohammed Mustafa and former minister Razia Sultana-has erupted into a legal and political storm, drawing intense media attention and public speculation. Aqil’s wife, Zainab Akhtar, has now broken her silence following a barrage of allegations in videos he recorded before his death. Speaking to The Indian Express, she said politics had robbed her of the right to grieve in peace, and denied “false and hurtful” claims of an illicit relationship with her father-in-law.
“They did not even let me grieve in peace,” 34-year-old Zainab Akhtar told The Indian Express. “Politics did not let me do that too. I am facing allegations that I have a relationship with my father-in-law, whom I have considered more than my father,” she said.
Zainab said she regrets that her husband, Aqil, is being seen as a villain. “He was a great father. He loved us. The system failed him. We could not pull him out of the clutches of narcotics.”
According to the family, Aqil, who had been battling drug addiction and mental health issues, died of an overdose at his home in Haryana’s Panchkula, adjacent to Chandigarh. However, a murder probe has been launched based on a complaint filed by one of Aqil’s friends.
“My in-laws, my father-in-law, mother-in-law and sister-in-law, have been my cushions,” Zainab said. “They treat me like their daughter. I am hurt at the way I am being put in the dock. I am worried about my children.”
She said she had been living separately since last year after Aqil became violent. “We rented a house in the neighbourhood because I wanted my children to study in Chandigarh,” she said.
Recalling the night of October 16, she said, “I was feeding the children while my mother-in-law was calling Aqil to dinner. When he didn’t respond, my sister-in-law knocked on his door. After 10 minutes, we panicked and entered through the balcony. He was lying motionless. I rubbed his hands, they were lifeless.”
Aqil was rushed to hospital but declared dead on arrival. Later, an FIR named Mustafa and Razia Sultana based on a video Aqil had posted in August, alleging an illicit relationship between his father and wife. The family, however, told The Indian Express that Aqil later denied those allegations, attributing them to his poor mental state.
