TikTok sensation Mahek Bukhari and her mother, Ansreen Bukhari, have been found guilty of killing Saqib Hussain and Hashim Ijazuddin in a devastating car crash near Leicester last year.
The verdict was delivered by the jury after 28 hours of deliberation.
The trial at Leicester Crown Court exposed the events leading up to the tragic collision, shedding light on a complicated web of relationships.
According to the police, Hussain had been involved in a three-year-long affair with Ms. Ansreen. When she attempted to end the relationship, he threatened to expose their affair to her husband and share her videos.
In an effort to confront Mr. Hussain, Ms. Ansreen offered to reimburse him for money spent during their affair and arranged a meet-up in the Tesco car park in Hamilton, Leicester.
Six other defendants were present, and the eight of them were divided into two vehicles – an Audi TT and a Seat Leon. Mr. Hussain arrived at the scene in a Skoda Fabia, accompanied by his friend Mr. Ijazuddin.
The collision proved to be fatal, causing the Skoda to split into two and its engine to detach from the body. Tragically, both Mr. Hussain and Mr. Ijazuddin lost their lives immediately from multiple injuries, even before the car caught fire.
Inspector Mark Parish condemned the defendants’ actions as “callous and cold-blooded,” highlighting their reckless behavior during the incident. After setting up the victims, the defendants chased them at high speed and rammed their car off the road. Shockingly, none of the defendants attempted to aid the victims or call for help. They callously drove away from the scene and even passed the collision site again without offering any assistance.
Apart from Mahek and Ansreen Bukhari, two other defendants, Rekhan Karwan and Raees Jamal, were also found guilty of murder. However, Natasha Akhtar, Ameer Jamal, and Sanaf Gulamustafa were cleared of murder charges but found guilty of manslaughter. Mohammed Patel, another co-accused, was acquitted of all charges.
The sentencing phase will follow shortly, and the court is expected to impose stringent penalties on those responsible for the tragic loss of two young lives.