The ex-boyfriend of Tunstall TikTok murderer Mahek Bukhari has told a new ITV documentary how his former girlfriend and her mum Ansreen 'lived the high life' and would go 'clubbing 24/7'.
Speaking on TikTok: Murder Gone Viral, which examines how Mahek went from being a social media sensation to a cold-blooded killer, he said the pair were inseparable and described Ansreen as 'unusual' for 'acting like her daughter'. At the height of her fame, Mahek had more than 160,000 followers on TikTok before the fatal crash on the A46 in Leicester in February 2022 changed everything.
A 100mph chase, which saw one car rammed off the road, claimed the lives of friends Saqib Hussain and Hashim Ijazuddin. Mahek, of George Eardley Close, span a web of lies as she tried to distance herself from what happened but a jury saw through her deception and she was handed a life sentence for two murders - along with her mum Ansreen, who lived at the same address.
The murder plot came to light after it emerged that Saqib had been in a relationship with Ansreen. Part of the documentary looks at how the Mahek and her mother were rarely away from each other's side as the pair enjoyed the benefits of her social media status.
The documentary features Mahek's ex-boyfriend and former follower Azhar, who recalls how he first got to know her: "When we first met I joined one of her live streams. She had a lot of followers and I didn't know I'd be able to talk to her. I'm quite cheeky so I used to just flirt with her. She seemed genuine to me at that time, she seemed nice to me."
Many of Mahek's TikTok videos featured Ansreen - whether it be the pair dancing, discussing fashion or having been out somewhere for food or a night out. Azhar recalls: "She'd take her to clubs they would get promoted for, paid for.
"They were living the high life, they were literally clubbing 24/7. They were going everywhere together. She's acting like her daughter, it was really unusual."
Also featured in the programme is friend and former follower Saffron who says: "I just never quite grasped why her mum would go clubbing especially going out with people May's (Mahek) age."
The gripping new documentary also hears from a detective who said the social media influencer turned the double murder trial into 'the Mahek show'. The father of one of the victims also speaks out, describing 'the arrogance' shown by Mahek and her co-conspirators during the long-running and high-profile crown court hearing.
During the trial, the jury heard how the victims, both 21, had travelled from Banbury in Oxfordshire to Leicester to meet Mahek, and Ansreen, where they hoped to receive £3,000 in blackmail cash after Saqib threatened to post nude images and sexual videos of Ansreen - who he'd been having a three-year affair with - online.
But instead, Mahek and her mother hatched a plan to ambush them, with Mahek and her two friends pursuing the two men up the A46. Defendant Raees Jamal, 22, behind the wheel of a Seat Leon, rammed into the men's Skoda Fabia, sending them crashing into the central reservation. The vehicle 'split in two' before bursting into flames, killing the two men inside.
After the three-month trial, jurors deliberated for more than 28 hours before returning a verdict finding the TikToker and her mother guilty of two counts of murder, alongside fellow defendants Karwan, 29, and Jamal, 23. Mahek was sentenced to a minimum of 31 years and eight months in prison, while mum Ansreen was handed a 27-year sentence.
Mahek is understood to be planning to appeal her conviction. Three others were jailed for manslaughter.
TikTok: Murder Gone Viral is available to stream on ITVX.
