Six Arrested in Hyderabad for Extorting Five Crores from Telangana MLC Using Deepfake Videos

Police in Narsingi arrested six people for trying to extort five crore rupees from Telangana Legislative Council member Mirza Rahmath Baig by threatening to share edited photos and deepfake videos. The group managed to collect four lakh and seventy thousand rupees before police caught them.

The Accused and Arrest

The suspects are Mohd Mohsin Khan, 35, Fathima Begum alias Reema, 29, Mohd Sameer, 20, Mohd Zameer, 20, Mohd Imran, 18, and Syed Rehan, 20. They live in the Hyderabad areas of Bandlaguda, Chandrayangutta and Barkas. Police caught five of them on November 5 near the MLC's office at Ibrahim Bagh after Fathima Begum collected four lakh rupees in cash inside a cotton box. Officers caught Mohsin Khan later during the same operation.

Seizures and Investigation

Officers seized four lakh seventy thousand rupees in cash, two autorickshaws, six mobile phones and a laptop. Police state the group planned the crime because of money troubles and a desire to get rich fast. Some members made and shared the fake clips, while others made threats to ruin the leader's political career and put his life in danger. Search efforts continue for other suspects who are still missing.

Context

Extortion involving manipulated digital media and deepfake technology is an emerging challenge for law enforcement agencies worldwide. Public figures often face targeted online threats as digital tools become more advanced and accessible. Police investigations in such cases typically focus on digital forensics to trace how and where the fake content was created and spread online.