Murder-accused TikToker Mahek Bukhari 'had phone row before crash'

Rekan Karwan denied cleaning the interior of the Audi TT he was driving to remove DNA

A TikTok influencer accused of murdering two men had a "heated" phone conversation with one of them shortly before he died, a court has heard.

Hashim Ijazuddin and Saqib Hussain, both 21, died in a crash on the A46 in Leicestershire in February 2022.

It is claimed a group in two cars rammed the pair off the road to keep secret an affair between co-defendant Ansreen Bukhari and Mr Hussain.

Rekan Karwan, who drove one of the cars, gave evidence on Wednesday.

Mr Ijazuddin (left) and Mr Hussain died at the scene of the crash

He and seven others - including Mrs Bukhari and her TikTok influencer daughter Mahek Bukhari - deny two counts of murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter.

Leicester Crown Court previously heard Mr Hussain, from Banbury, Oxfordshire, had been blackmailing Mrs Bukhari with sexual videos and images from their three-year affair.

The prosecution say the defendants enticed him and his friend Mr Ijazuddin to Leicester for a meeting under false pretences before the fatal crash.

Footage from the car park where the meeting was due to take place showed Mr Hussain and Mr Ijazuddin never got out of their Skoda Fabia, and the prosecution say this was because they became suspicious.

Instead, they left the car park, pursued by a Seat Leon and an Audi TT containing the defendants.

Ansreen Bukhari and her social media influencer daughter Mahek (right) are on trial

Mr Karwan was asked about the 999 call made by Mr Hussain as he was driven along the A46 before the crash, which followed a "heated conversation" between Ms Bukhari and Mr Hussain.

Prosecutor Collingwood Thompson KC asked Mr Karwan what was said in that call to prompt Mr Hussain to call 999. The prosecution say Ms Bukhari issued a threat against Mr Hussain.

"The conversation started off calm and chill with Mahek asking him to pull over... Saqib refused and called her names," Mr Karwan said.

"That made Mahek angry and she would throw back [insults].

"I don't recall anything being said in that phone call which would make Saqib ring 999."

The prosecution claims the car carrying Hashim Ijazuddin and Saqib Hussain was rammed off the road

The court heard Mr Karwan, the driver of the Audi TT and Mr Jamal, the driver of the Seat Leon, were both banned from driving at the time of the crash.

Mr Karwan denied he returned to his home address afterwards to gather materials to clean the inside of the car in an attempt to remove fingerprints.

"There was no trace found of DNA or fingerprints of either yours or Mr Patel's inside of the car... is that because you had the forethought to get something to clean the interior?" Mr Thompson asked.

"If I wanted to clean the car, why would I step back in the car to get dropped off?" Mr Karwan responded.

The defendants are:

• Ansreen Bukhari, 46, of George Eardley Close, Stoke-on-Trent

• Mahek Bukhari, 24, of George Eardley Close, Stoke-on-Trent

• Rekan Karwan, 29, of Tomlin Road, Leicester

• Raees Jamal, 23, of Lingdale Close, Loughborough

• Mohammed Patel, 21, of Braybrooke Road, Leicester

• Natasha Akhtar, 23, of Alum Rock Road, Birmingham

• Sanaf Gulammustafa, 23, of Littlemore Close, Leicester

• Ameer Jamal, 28, of Catherine Street, Leicester

The trial continues.