Ansreen Bukhari, 47, had an affair with murder victim Saqib Hussain. Ansreen admitted during her court hearing that “working Monday to Friday and doing the same thing, I was quite bored.”
Ansreen Bukhari would tag along with her daughter, Mahek Bukhari, as she met people off the back of her TikTok stardom.
But when the TikTok trips started, she said: “It was more excitement. We were out and meeting people and stuff.” Among the people she met were young men.
On one of the trips, she met a married dad in his 30s, with whom she struck up a relationship. The pair would talk on the phone and meet in shisha lounges.
But when she went on to have a second affair, Ansreen could not have foreseen the fatal turn the relationship would take. She first met with 18-year-old Saqib Hussain, who reportedly claimed he was 27, in a hotel room in Birmingham.
When Ansreen and 24-year-old Mahek booked a Premier Inn together for a trip to London, Saqib came to see her and the pair had good time again, Leicester Crown Court was told. The couple would indulge in video chats during which Ansreen ‘did things’ at Saqib’s request .
Ansreen, of George Eardley Close, later claimed that she was unaware that she was being recorded. Saqib would send gifts to the home where she lived with her two children and husband.
However, Ansreen said that she felt guilty about the relationship and wanted to save her marriage. When she tried break things off with Saqib he got angry, she said.
Ansreen said he would lose his temper if she refused to take his video calls. When she ended the relationship, Saqib was not said to have taken it well. He reportedly threatened to release the compromising
Panicking over the devastating consequences that could have on her marriage and Mahek’s career, Ansreen said she confided in her daughter and confessed to the affair.
Mahek was furious and she decided that Saqib had to be silenced. He agreed to hand over the clips in exchange for £2,000 and meet Mahek at a Tesco car park in Leicestershire in February last year.
But when he arrived, eight people were waiting for him. Their aim was to take his phone and if he did not hand it over, far worse.
And when Saqib and his friend, Hashim Ijazuddin, sped away down the A46, Ansreen, Mahek and their six accomplices pursued in two cars.
One of the vehicles, a Seat driven by Raees Jamal, made contact with the Skoda Saquib and Hashim were travelling in, with the chase reaching speeds of 100mph.
A disturbing 999 call was played to the jury, during which Saqib 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. They’re hitting into the back of the car very fast. Please, I’m begging you, I’m going to die.”
The Bukharis were found guilty of murdering Saqib and Hashim at Leicester Crown Court on Friday, August 4. Fellow defendants Rekhan Karwan and Raees Jamal were also found guilty of two counts of murder – while Natasha Akhtar, Ameer Jamal and Sanaf Gulamustafa were all found not guilty of murder, but guilty of two counts of manslaughter.
Mohammed Patel was found not guilty of murder or manslaughter. They have all been remanded into custody and are due to be sentenced on Friday, September 1.