In February 2022, a crash occurred along England’s A46 dual carriageway when a Škoda Fabia veered off the road, struck the central reservation, and split into two pieces. The vehicle quickly burst into flames. By the time emergency responders arrived, the two occupants, Saqib Hussain and Mohammed Ijazuddin, had died. What initially appeared to be a traffic accident soon evolved into a homicide investigation after detectives discovered that a 999 call had been made just minutes before the collision. During the call, the passengers reported that they were being pursued by another vehicle. ID’s ‘Deadly Influence: Social Media Murders,’ particularly the episode ‘Cruel Intentions,’ examines the events leading up to the crash and the investigation that followed in detail.
Saqib Hussain and Mohammed Ijazuddin Were Killed in the Same Car Crash
Saqib Hussain and Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin were close friends who had grown up together in Banbury, Oxfordshire. Like many young people, they had hopes, ambitions, and plans for the future. The two shared a strong friendship and supported each other through life’s challenges. On February 11, 2022, they traveled from home to Leicester in a Škoda Fabia. CCTV later captured them entering a Tesco car park in Hamilton, Leicester, before leaving shortly afterward.
Just minutes later, Hussain made a frantic 999 call to report that men wearing balaclavas were chasing them and deliberately ramming their vehicle. He told the operator that he feared for his life. Soon after, the car left the roadway and crashed into the central reservation on the A46 dual carriageway. The impact was catastrophic, which caused the vehicle to split into two pieces and burst into flames. By the time emergency services reached the scene, both young men had died. Their injuries were so severe that they were initially unrecognizable, and post-mortem examinations later concluded that they died almost instantly from the force of the collision.
Saqib Hussain and Mohammed Ijazuddin’s Killers Had Lured Them Into a Trap
The investigation that followed quickly uncovered the events that had led to the fatal crash. Detectives learned that in 2019, when Saqib Hussain was 18 years old, he began a relationship with Ansreen Bukhari, a married businesswoman from Stoke-on-Trent. The relationship was kept secret and reportedly began after the two connected through a live-streaming app. Over the following years, they met at hotels in Birmingham, London, and other locations. Their relationship came to an end in January 2022, but the split was far from amicable. According to the episode, Hussain allegedly threatened to share intimate images of Bukhari with her husband and son. Reports also stated that he had allegedly demanded around £3,000 and insisted that the money be paid in exchange for keeping the images private.
Ansreen reportedly shared her concerns with her daughter, Mahek Bukhari. She was a well-known social media personality who created lifestyle content under the name May B and had built a sizable following online. According to investigators, Mahek discussed the situation with several friends and allegedly sent messages indicating that she intended to have Hussain “jumped.” Prosecutors later alleged that the mother-daughter pair enlisted the assistance of several associates, including Raees Jamal, Rekan Karwan, Ameer Jamal, Sanaf Gulamustafa, Natasha Akhtar, and Mohammed Patel. On February 11, 2022, Hussain was called to settle the money matter and he asked his friend to tag along.
CCTV footage captured Hussain and Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin leaving the Tesco car park, after which their vehicle was followed by an Audi TT and a SEAT Leon. Detectives traced the movements of the vehicles involved and determined that they had been pursuing the victims’ car at speeds approaching 100 mph. Investigators also recovered footage showing the Audi driving past the burning wreckage and circling it twice without stopping to offer assistance. For the police, this weakened any suggestion that the crash had been a simple accident. Just hours after the crash on the same morning, police arrested Mahek and Ansreen at their home. Both women were subsequently charged with murder.
Mahek and Ansreen Bukhari Are Being Held Behind Bars in England Today
The original trial of Mahek Bukhari, Ansreen Bukhari, and the six other defendants began in October 2022. However, in December 2022, the proceedings were halted when the judge declared a mistrial after concerns arose regarding a jury irregularity. Shortly afterward, Mahek and Ansreen were granted bail while awaiting a retrial. The second trial commenced in June 2023, and in August of that year, both women were convicted of the murders of Saqib Hussain and Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin.
They were each sentenced to life imprisonment. Ansreen was ordered to serve a minimum term of 26 years and 9 months, while Mahek received a minimum term of 31 years and 8 months. In October 2025, Mahek successfully appealed her sentence, and her minimum term was reduced to 26 years and approximately 9 months after the court found that insufficient weight had been given to her age and maturity level at the time of the offense. Both women remain incarcerated in His Majesty’s Prison and face many years behind bars before becoming eligible for release.
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