A former TikTok personality involved in a fatal crash resulting in the deaths of her mother’s partner and his friend, at speeds reaching 100mph, has successfully appealed to have her prison sentence reduced. Mahek Bukhari, who was 22 at the time of the incident, was initially sentenced to a minimum of 31 years and eight months in September 2023 for two counts of murder. However, the sentence was shortened to 26 years and 285 days following the appeal hearing where judges took into account her young age.
Mahek, from Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, collaborated with her mother Ansreen Bukhari, then 45, after the victim, Saqib Hussain, threatened to expose his illicit relationship with Ansreen using explicit material. Ansreen received a 27-year prison term in 2023, which remains unchanged.
In a recent statement summarizing the decision, Lord Justice Warby highlighted that the original sentence did not adequately consider Mahek’s immaturity at the time of the crime. Additionally, the court found the manslaughter sentences imposed on Natasha Akhtar, Ameer Jamal, and Sanaf Gulamustafa as excessive and reduced their terms by two years each. The judges emphasized that the high-risk nature of the car chase should have been evident to all involved and that the minor roles of the defendants warranted more lenient sentencing.
During the trial in 2023, Rekhan Karwan and Raees Jamal, found guilty of murder, received life sentences with minimum terms of 26 years and 10 months and 31 years, respectively. Their sentences remained unchanged. Prosecutors described the incident as a case of “love, obsession, extortion, and cold-blooded murder,” emphasizing the gravity of the situation.
The tragic turn of events stemmed from a relationship that started casually but escalated when Saqib developed deeper feelings for Ansreen. Despite attempts to end the affair, Saqib resorted to blackmail, leading to the fatal encounter on the road. Mahek and her mother orchestrated an ambush that resulted in the deadly crash, leading to the arrest of both at their home shortly after the incident.
The trial, which lasted three months, ended with guilty verdicts for most defendants. Mahek, known for her social media presence with over 120,000 TikTok followers and a substantial Instagram following, faced the consequences of her actions in a court of law.