TikTok star Mahek Bukhari, who with her mum arranged a deadly car chase that killed two men, has seen her life sentence reduced after an appeal. Read how the court explained the change.
What the case was about
In February 2022, two 21-year-old men — Saqib Hussain and Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin — were killed when their car crashed after being rammed during a high-speed chase in Leicester, UK. The crash was the result of a deliberate ambush, prosecutors said. ITVX+2ITVX+2
The chase was orchestrated by a group that included TikToker Mahek Bukhari and her mother Ansreen Bukhari. They had been implicated after Saqib had allegedly been blackmailing Ansreen with explicit material tied to their affair. ITVX+1
In September 2023, Mahek was given a life sentence with a minimum of 31 years and 8 months; Ansreen was also given life with a minimum term of around 26 years and 9 months. ITVX+1
The appeal and sentence reduction
In October 2025, the appeal court ruled Mahek’s minimum term was “manifestly excessive” and reduced it to 26 years and 285 days. ITVX+1
The judges said the original sentence did not properly take into account her youth and immaturity at the time of the offences. Lord Justice Warby stated that the sentencing judge “did not make enough allowance for the fact that this appellant was an immature 22-year-old at the time of these offences.” The Independent+1
Why it matters
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It shows how the appeal process can lead to significant changes even in very serious cases when factors like age and role are reconsidered.
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It raises questions about how sentences are set for social-media stars and how public profile may affect judgment (the original judge commented on her “tawdry fame” and self-obsession). ITVX+1
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The victims’ families and the community see it as a major crime with severe consequences; the reduction will likely spark debate about justice and fairness.
What we don’t yet know
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While Mahek’s term was reduced, her mother’s minimum term appears unchanged — or at least not publicly reduced at this time. ITVX+1
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Complete details of how much the other co-defendants involved had their sentences changed are still emerging.
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The future implications for Mahek’s potential release date, conditions of parole, or prison behaviour records are not yet clear.
Final thoughts
This case is a stark reminder that real-life crimes involving influencers and social-media fame can have deeply tragic outcomes. Mahek Bukhari’s life sentence being trimmed doesn’t erase the severity of the action — but the court’s view of her age and role shifted the balance somewhat.