TikTok influencer Mahek Bukhari is at the centre of a new TV true-crime series after she was convicted of murdering her married mum’s ex-lover and his friend.
The content creator, who boasted more than 160,000 followers on social media, had hatched a plan to silence Saqib Hussain when he threatened to send nude photos and sex tapes to her husband.
Fearing for her parents’ marriage, their standing in the Muslim community and the possible impact on her social media career, daughter Mahek hatched a plan to silence him, enlisting several others – including two of her TikTok followers.
Mahek and Ansreen’s plot culminated in an abandoned meeting before a car chase along the A46 in which Hashim and Saqib’s car was rammed off the road. In a 999 call shortly after the abandoned meeting, Saqib is heard saying: “They hit into the back of the car very fast. They’re trying to ram us off the road. Please, I’m begging you, I think I’m going to die, I think I’m going to die.”
When interviewed, Mahek showed very little guilt for their deaths, says senior investigating officer Det Insp Mark Parish: “The only time I notice any remorse is when Mahek hears the 999 call being played to her. But I’m not sure that’s remorse at the call. I think it’s more to do with the fact that she recognises how serious a position she is in.”
Mahek and her mum Ansreen Bukhari, who lived in Stoke-on-Trent, were convicted of murder alongside Rekan Karwan and Raees Jamal. A jury also found Sanaf Gulammustafa, Ameer Jamal and Natasha Akhtar, who lived in Birmingham, guilty of manslaughter. An eighth defendant was found not guilty of either charges following the trial.
Episode one of ITV’s ‘TikTok: Murder Gone Viral’, airs at 9pm on Tuesday, January 30, will show viewers how police managed to snare Mahek and seven others, who all faced trial at Leicester Crown Court last year.
How long was Mahek Bukhari jailed for?
Mahek Bukhari was jailed for life following the “callous and cold-blooded” murder. She was given a minimum term of 31 years and eight months. Sentences handed to her fellow defendants as below.
Raees Jamal was sentenced to life imprisonment to serve a minimum of 31 years for murder. This minimum term was increased to 36 years and 45 days as he is currently serving a jail sentence after being convicted of rape in relation to a separate investigation
Rekan Karwan was sentenced to life imprisonment to serve a minimum of 26 years and 10 months for murder.
Ansreen Bukhari was sentenced to life imprisonment to serve a minimum of 26 years and nine months for murder.
Sanaf Gulamustafa was sentenced to 14 years and nine months imprisonment for manslaughter.
Ameer Jamal was sentenced to 14 years and eight months imprisonment for manslaughter.
Natasha Akhtar was sentenced to 11 years and eight months imprisonment for manslaughter.
