Hyderabad: A Telangana MLC was allegedly squeezed with a threat that has become distressingly easy to make: morphed photographs and deepfake videos, ready to be pushed out on social media unless he paid.
Narsingi police have arrested six people in the case. According to investigators, the group began by demanding ₹5 crore from Mirza Rahmath Baig, a member of the Telangana Legislative Council, and ended up collecting ₹4.7 lakh.
Those arrested were identified as Mohd Mohsin Khan, 35, Fathima Begum alias Reema, 29, Mohd Sameer, 20, Mohd Zameer, 20, Mohd Imran, 18, and Syed Rehan, 20. All are residents of Bandlaguda, Chandrayangutta and Barkas in Hyderabad.
Police said the conspiracy was put together for quick money by people in financial difficulty. The threat was explicit: objectionable images would be circulated, and the MLC's political standing and safety would be at risk if he did not pay.
On November 5, Fathima Begum went to Baig's office at Ibrahim Bagh with Sameer, Zameer, Imran and Rehan. She collected ₹4 lakh in cash in a cotton box. Police, acting on information, intercepted the group as it was leaving and picked up the five. Mohsin Khan was arrested subsequently.
Officers seized ₹4.7 lakh in cash, two autorickshaws, six mobile phones and a laptop.
Investigators say the roles were split. Some members procured and handled the manipulated photographs and videos, while others pushed the material out through different social media accounts.
Others involved in the group are still at large, and police are working to identify everyone who took part in producing or circulating the content.
For public figures, the case points to a problem with no easy fix: a fabricated video costs almost nothing to make and can be online before a denial is drafted. Police have urged people who receive such threats to file a complaint rather than pay.