Six arrested for threatening Telangana MLC with deepfake videos

Narsingi police in Cyberabad have arrested six people accused of trying to extort money from Telangana MLC Mirza Rahmath Baig by threatening to circulate morphed photos and deepfake videos of him on social media. The gang initially demanded Rs 5 crore, and police said the accused had already collected Rs 5 lakh while pressing for another Rs 5 lakh.

The threats were not limited to his image. According to the investigation, the accused also warned of damage to the MLC’s political and social standing and threatened harm to his life. That combination of reputational and physical intimidation is what pushed the case from a routine cyber complaint into a full criminal investigation.

The payment that ended at the MLC’s own office

The most unusual detail in this case is where the money changed hands. Police said Fatima Begum, also known as Reema, went with five others on November 5 to the MLC’s office at Ibrahimbagh and collected cash there. A group that had been threatening a sitting legislator with fabricated videos was, in effect, collecting its payment at the door of the office he works from.

Narsingi police had already been alerted to the plot. They formed a special team and, as the group left with the cash, detained five of them. Another accused, Mohammed Mohsin Khan, was caught later. The arrests closed a chain of extortion that police say had been building in the background for some time.

What police recovered

Officers seized Rs 4.70 lakh in cash from the accused. They also recovered two autos, six cellphones and one laptop. Police have not described the laptop or phones in detail in the material available, but the devices are central to any investigation into how the morphed images and deepfake content were allegedly prepared and circulated.

Police said the accused were motivated by financial difficulties and wanted to make quick money. They also said more than 14 people in total took part in the conspiracy. That figure matters because it suggests the six arrested are only part of a larger network, and investigators are now tracing the rest.

Several accused still at large

The main accused, listed as A-1, is still absconding. So are A-4 through A-9 and A-14, according to police. Officers said they are actively searching for them. Until those suspects are caught, police have not confirmed how many people played organizing roles and how many were paid to carry out the collection.

The case has been registered at Narsingi Police Station under several sections of law, and the investigation is continuing. Police have not publicly outlined the specific charges in the material provided, so the formal list of offences will become clearer as the probe moves forward.

Why this case matters beyond one politician

This is not only a story about a Telangana legislator. Deepfake and morphing tools have become cheap and easy to use, and the case shows how a criminal group can build a threat around fake content and then convert fear into cash. The method does not require the victim to have done anything wrong. It only requires the threat to be believable enough to make someone pay.

That is why the police message to the public carries weight. Cyberabad police have urged people who receive threats involving morphed photos or deepfake videos not to pay. They are asking them to file a complaint with the police immediately. Paying, police warn, only tells extortionists that the threat works.

If anyone threatens you with morphed photos or deepfake videos, do not pay. Report it to the police immediately.

For Hyderabad and the wider Telangana public, the takeaway is practical. Financial pressure, fake content and fast-moving online threats are now a combined crime model. The arrests show police can move quickly when a victim reports early, but the cases that remain open show how far such networks can reach.