TIKTOK influencer Mahek Bukhari was convicted of murder following a car crash that resulted in the deaths of two young men.
Here we look at the sickening story behind the senseless killings, which are investigated in ITV’s TikTok: Murder Gone Viral.
Who is Mahek Bukhari?
Mahek Bukhari, from Stoke, Staffordshire, was an influencer who had more than 126,000 followers on TikTok.
She also had a following of 43,000 on Instagram.
Bukhari posted clips of her life, including showing off outfits, make-up and handbags.
Her mother Ansreen Bukhari also appeared in many of her videos.
Bukhari even posted a TikTok captioned ‘Having an elite relationship with your mother’.
What happened to Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin and Saqib Hussain?
Saqib Hussain and Hashim Ijazuddin, both 21, were killed when their car was rammed off the road in the early hours of February 11, 2022.
Their bodies were so badly burnt that their families couldn’t identify them.
In the minutes leading up to the crash, Saqib made a harrowing 999 call.
He said: “I’m being followed by two vehicles and they’re trying to block me in. I can’t get to a police station – I need help right now
“There’s guys following me. They’ve got balaclavas on. They’re trying to ram me off the road. They’re trying to kill me – I’m going to die.”
After giving his name to the operator, Saqib then begged: “They’re hitting into the back of the car very fast.
“Please, I’m begging you, I’m going to die.”
Moments later, Saqib and his friend smashed into a tree on a central reservation and were killed.
A jury at Leicester Crown Court found Mahek and her mum guilty on a retrial on August 4 after 28 hours of deliberation.
Jurors were told the horror smash was “no ordinary traffic accident”.
Instead, it was a “story of love, obsession, extortion and, ultimately, cold-blooded murder”.
Saqib had been in a relationship with married Ansreen for about three years and “appeared to be in love” with her.
During the illicit tryst, he splurged £3,000 on Ansreen, who he called “Anzy”, on date nights.
By January 2022, the mum was trying to end the relationship but “increasingly obsessive” Saqib would not accept it was over.
As a result, he “took to attempting to blackmail Ansreen” by threatening to send their sex tapes to her husband.
On January 4, Mahek Bukhari sent her mum a message that read: “I’ll get him jumped by guys and he won’t know what day it is.”
The TikTok influencer also messaged her mum’s ex-lover, telling him: “I am sorry that this year you’ll be gone, Saqib.”
She and her mum hatched a plot to “silence” Saqib with her mum by luring him in with the offer of getting his £3,000 back.
Footage has been released by police showing how brazen Bukhari spun a web of lies to officers after the horror.
What happened to Mahek and Ansreen Bukhari?
Ansreen Bukhari and Mahek Bukhari denied two counts of murder and two alternate counts of manslaughter.
The pair were found guilty of double murder following a three-month trial at Leicester Crown Court in August 2023.
Fellow defendants Rekan Karwan, and Raees Jamal, who were recruited by the Bukharis and who were driving the pursuing cars, were also jailed for life, with a minimum of 26 years and ten months and 31 years respectively.
Jamal has also been convicted of rape in a separate case, so his minimum term has been increased to 36 years and 45 days.
Three others were also found guilty of manslaughter.
Natasha Akhtar was jailed for 11 years and eight months, while Ameer Jamal, and Sanaf Gulamustafa, were jailed for 14 years and eight months and 14 years and nine months respectively.
One of the eight people charged was acquitted.
Where are Mahek and Ansreen Bukhari now?
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.
Her mother was sentenced to life imprisonment and to serve a minimum of 26 years and nine months for murder.
TikTok: Murder Gone Viral
A three-part true crime series called TikTok: Murder Gone Viral delves into murder cases that gained notoriety on the social media platform.
The episode featuring the case of Mahek and Ansreen Bukhari is being shown on Saturday, November 2, 2024.It airs on ITV at 10.55pm, and is repeated an hour later on ITV+1.
