Who is University Student accused of being ‘Hitman’ in attacks on Shahzad Akbar, Adil Raja?

2026-01-27 - 15:51

LONDON — An international plot involving alleged violence-for-hire, political vendettas, and escalating cross-border tensions has been exposed in a London courtroom, where 25-year-old British university student stands accused of masterminding violent attacks against two high-profile Pakistani figures living in UK. As per reports in global media, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard that Louis Regan, a Birmingham-based student of Sports and Exercise Science at Canterbury University, allegedly acted as a “hitman for hire,” orchestrating coordinated assaults on the homes of former Pakistani military officer Adil Raja and former ministerial adviser Shehzad Akbar on Christmas Eve last year. The court was told that the alleged operation bore the hallmarks of careful planning and coordination. The man is accused of disguising himself as a delivery driver, wearing helmet, jacket, gloves, and a mask to conceal his identity, before travelling to Cambridgeshire where Mirza Shehzad Akbar resides. A second group was allegedly dispatched to home of Adil Raja in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, indicating a dual-target operation carried out simultaneously. Prosecutor Vernon Steiner told the court that Regan personally knocked on the door of Shehzad Akbar’s home. When Shehzad Akbar confirmed his identity at door, the court heard, the masked attacker launched sudden and violent assault. Prosecutors described how Akbar was punched repeatedly in the face, resulting in broken nose and visible injuries. The attack was portrayed as deliberate, targeted, and brutal, with Regan allegedly concealing his identity throughout the assault to avoid detection. Prosecutors claimed that Adil Raja’s residence in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, had been scouted in advance and that Shehzad Akbar’s home had also been systematically monitored. Intelligence gathering and surveillance were carried out before the attacks, reinforcing the prosecution’s claim that this was not random violence but a planned and structured operation. Regan is accused of carrying out violent acts in exchange for money, with prosecutors alleging he operated as a paid enforcer. Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram described Regan in stark terms, branding him “a hitman for hire involved in violence.” Regan was remanded into police custody ahead of a hearing scheduled for 13 February at London’s Old Bailey. The case expanded into wider alleged criminal conspiracy involving multiple co-accused. Forty-year-old Carl Blackbird is accused of involvement in both attacks, while 39-year-old Clark McAuley is alleged to have participated in the conspiracy to attack Adil Raja. Twenty-one-year-old Donato Brammer is accused of involvement in a separate incident in which a fire was set outside Shehzad Akbar’s home and also faces charges of possessing a prohibited weapon. Prosecutors clarified that Regan is not charged in relation to the arson attack. The targets of the alleged plot are themselves deeply entangled in Pakistan’s political and military conflicts. Adil Raja is a former Major in the Pakistan Army who was court-martialled in November 2023, sentenced to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment, and stripped of his rank. Mirza Shehzad Akbar served as Adviser on Accountability and Interior Affairs during former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government and is currently facing multiple ongoing cases in Pakistani courts. Pakistan has formally requested the extradition of both men from Britain. After extradition request, Shehzad Akbar made public appeal to British government and High Commissioner, claiming he had been subjected to “the worst actions” and alleging that members of his family in Pakistan had been abducted. He warned of politically motivated persecution and urged British authorities to uphold the rule of law and human rights obligations. Naqvi seeks repatriation of Shehzad Akbar, Adil Raja in meeting with UK high commissioner