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| Sartreen Bukhari (left) and her daughter Mehek Bukhari faced trial along with six other accused (BBC-Photo) |
In February 2022, 21-year-old Saqib Hussain and Hashim Ejazuddin were killed near Leicester when their car 'twined'. Jurors were told that Saqib Hussain drove the influencer's mother, Santareen Bukhari, between them. Threatened to make the affair public. This incident happened after this threat.
A court in the city of Leicester, UK, has sentenced four people, including TikToker Mehek Bukhari and his mother Sartreen Bukhari, to life imprisonment for the planned murder of two youths.
Social media influencer Mehek Bukhari has been sentenced to a minimum of 31 years and eight months in prison and his mother, Sartreen Bukhari, has been sentenced to 26 years and nine months in prison.
Apart from Mahek and Nasreen Bukhari, the two convicts who have been sentenced to life imprisonment for murder include Rehan Karwan and Rais Jamal.
It should be noted that Raees Jamal has been in prison since August 2022 after being sentenced to ten years in prison for raping a girl in his hometown of Loughborough. He has now been sentenced to a minimum of 36 years and 45 days in prison.
Apart from them, Rehan Karwan has been sentenced to at least 26 years in prison.
At the beginning of the proceedings of this case on Friday, the prosecutor Collingwood Thomson read the statements of the family members of the murdered 21-year-old Saqib Hussain.
In early August 2023, seven people, including Mehek Bukhari and his mother Nisreen Bukhari, were convicted by a court in the case of killing 21-year-old Saqib and Hashim in a planned road accident in February 2022.
In addition to Mahek and her mother, the jury found Rehan Karwan and Raees Jamal also involved in the murder, while 23-year-old Natasha Akhtar from Birmingham, 28-year-old Ameer Jamal from Leicester and 23-year-old Sanaf Ghulam were also found guilty. Mustafa was acquitted of the charge of murder, but he was accused of involuntary manslaughter.
Mohammed Patel, 21, from Leicester, was acquitted of both manslaughter and manslaughter.
During the hearing, the jury was told that 21-year-old Saqib Hussain was killed in a road accident after he had threatened to expose their affair.
The 46-year-old TikTok influencer and her mother were in tears when the jury found the 46-year-old and her daughter Mehek Bukhari guilty after 28 hours of deliberations.
During the hearing of the case, the jury at Leicester Crown Court was told that Saqib Hussain had threatened to release his sex videos and photos to the public about their affair.
Mehek Bukhari has around 129 thousand followers on TikTok and used to post fashion-related videos. During the three-month trial, it was revealed that Mehek Bukhari had 'laid a trap' for Saqib Hussain.
The prosecution said that Saqib Hussain, who belongs to Oxfordshire, was called by the "lure" of meeting with Sartreen Bukhari. He was told that the £3,000 he had spent on his lover would be returned to him.
Saqib Hussain was being driven by his friend Hashim Ejazuddin to Leicester for the meeting when two vehicles started chasing him.
The court was told that on February 11, 2022, Hashim Ejazuddin's car collided with a tree broke into two pieces, and caught fire. Rekhan Karvan and Rais Jamal were driving the chase vehicles.
A last shout before the call hangs up
The jury was also told a recording of Saqib Hussain's call to police moments before the crash.
In the last moments of his life, Saqib Hussain called the police helpline and said that masked people were trying to push his car off the road by hitting two vehicles.
In the call, a worried Saqib Hussain is telling the operator, "Those people are following me." They have masks on their faces. They are trying to crush me.'
He also said that those people were trying to kill me. I'm going to die, please sir, I need your help They're rear-ending the car. Very quickly. I beg you. I am going to die.'
A loud scream is also heard before the call hangs up.
"You know the sentence will be severe," Judge Timothy Spencer QC said before remanding the offenders in custody.
After the conviction was announced, Saqib Hussain's family said in a statement that Saqib Hussain was a 'much-loved young man' who was 'kind, caring and understanding'.
His family members said that the brutal act has left them broken.
In the statement, he said, "Saqib's death has saddened not only his family but all those who knew him."
"We hope and trust that Saqib has found eternal peace with our Lord, and we will be reunited with him when we pass this world."
He also said in his statement that he prays that no other family will ever have to face these conditions.
The family of Hashim Ejazuddin said that he was a 'superstar' to his family and his world has been shattered after his death.
In his statement, he said, "Everyone who knew Hashem loved him." His death is a great loss not only for the family but also for the entire community.
He said Hashim was 'always smiling, he was a handsome young man who was beautiful inside and out.'
'He would do anything for anyone, he was very caring and had a good heart.'
"Hashem always put others first and if others needed help, he would help without hesitation."
"On that tragic day, he was just helping his friend and he died as a result."
"Not only has it been extremely painful to lose Hashem at such a young age, but the circumstances in which we lost him are also painful.
