Father of man killed by TikTok influencer and mother says he 'was groomed' by the married older woman
30 January 2024, 06:29
A man who was murdered by a TikTok influencer and her mother after he threatened to expose his affair with the older woman was "groomed" by her, his father has said.
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Saqib Hussain, 21, and Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin, also 21, died after they were rammed off the road on the A46 in Leicestershire in February 2022.
Ansreen Bukhari, 46, was jailed for Mr Hussain's death after he said he would expose their illicit relationship.
Her TikTok influencer daughter Mahek, 24, asked her followers to "jump" Mr Hussain to guarantee his silence, and was also sent to prison.
Mr Hussain's father Sajad has spoken out for the first time since the murders, saying that Mahek's social media fame meant "she thought she was untouchable, above the law."
He said that his son was only 18 when she met Ansreen, and that she was older than his own mother. He "fully trusted her", Sajad said.
He told the Sun: "He was so young. It might not have been illegal, but it was still grooming, I think.. She should have known better."
Mr Hussain was killed alongside Mr Ijazuddin after they were lured to a Tesco on the pretence that they were to be given back £3,000 that Mr Hussain had spent on dates with Ms Bukhari.
But they were ambushed, pursued and forced off the road, leaving Mr Ijazuddin's Skoda Fabia "split in two" early on February 11.
Mr Hussain made a 999 call just moments before he died, saying they were being rammed off the road by attackers wearing balaclavas who were in two cars.
"They're trying to kill me, they're trying to kill me. I'm just getting rammed off the road," he said.
He can then be heard saying "Please, I am begging you" and "Oh my God" before a scream, then the call ends suddenly when an impact is heard.
The car was found ablaze by a tree near the Six Hills junction, not far from Leicester.
Both women denied two counts of murder but were found guilty of murder at Leicester Crown Court last year. Mahek was given 31 years and eight months in prison, while her mother was sentenced to 26 years and nine months.
Rekan Karwan, 29, and Raees Jamal, 22, were jailed for life.
Others were found guilty of manslaughter. Natasha Akhtar, 23, was sent to prison for 11 years and eight months, Ameer Jamal, 28, was put behind bars for 14 years and eight months, and Sanaf Gulamustafa, 23, was jailed for 14 years and nine months.
Collingwood Thompson KC, prosecuting, said the crash was "no ordinary traffic accident", saying a police investigation found a "story of love, obsession, extortion and... cold-blooded murder".
After Mr Hussain's family told police about a three year affair between him and Ansreen, it was found he "appeared to be in love” with the older woman, while Mahek tolerated it, even if she did not approve of it, Mr Thompson told the court.
"That there was a sexual relationship is also clear," he said.
"A number of sexually-explicit videos and pictures were found, involving both Saqib Hussain and Ansreen Bukhari.
"The existence of that material is at the very centre of this case because it was what that material could do that the Crown say led to... the murder of these two young men."
Ansreen had tried to end their relationship, but Mr Hussain "could not accept that decision", and bombarded her with messages where he told her he loved her and begged her to stay with him, as well as angrier texts.
Then he turned to blackmail and threatened to send sexual material to her husband, Mr Thompson said.
Mahek sent a message to her mother which said: "I'll get him jumped by guys and he won't know what day it is."
She told Mr Hussain: "I am sorry that this year you'll be gone, Saqib."
Mr Thompson told the court that the others "then became involved in what happened", with the family, from Stoke, needing to "silence" Mr Hussain.
Mr Ijazuddin was "completely innocent", and had offered to drive his friend that night – ultimately ending up in "the wrong place at the wrong time".
