Narsingi Police under the Cyberabad Commissionerate have arrested six people for allegedly blackmailing Telangana MLC Mirza Rahmath Baig. The accused are said to have threatened to circulate morphed photographs and deepfake videos of him. According to police, the gang demanded ₹5 crore from the legislator.
Police say the group had already collected ₹5 lakh through an intermediary. They were caught on the night of 5 November while collecting another instalment of around ₹4 lakh at Baig’s office in Ibrahim Bagh.
Officers recovered ₹4.7 lakh in cash, two autorickshaws, six mobile phones and one laptop from the accused. The FIR names 16 people in total. Others, including a reported mastermind, Salman Khan of Hyderabad Youth Courage, who is linked to the BRS, remain absconding.
A case has been registered under BNS sections 308(5), 336(4), 351(2), 353(2) and 61(2) read with 3(5). The arrested persons are:
- Md Mohsin Khan (35) – poultry businessman
- Fathima Begum alias Reema (29) – homemaker
- Md Sameer (20), Md Zameer (20) and Md Imran (18) – auto drivers
- Syed Rehan (20) – garments seller
All six are residents of the Bandlaguda and Chandrayangutta areas of Hyderabad.
Mirza Rahmath Baig is a member of the Telangana Legislative Council. He was elected in 2023 from the Hyderabad Local Authorities constituency, with a term till 2029. He was expelled from the AIMIM on 28/29 August 2026 and was directed by the party to resign as MLC. He has not submitted his resignation.
A day before his expulsion, Baig lodged a complaint with Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police. He alleged that unidentified persons were blackmailing him with morphed photos and deepfake videos. He has consistently said the circulating material is AI-generated and has denied any wrongdoing. Around the same time, unverified allegations of misconduct involving a minor circulated on social media, which Baig has rejected as fabricated. He was in Mecca for Umrah when the controversy intensified.
