6 arrested for demanding ₹5 crore by threatening Telangana MLC with deepfake videos

Narsingi police have arrested 6 individuals who used deepfake videos and morphed photos to threaten Telangana Legislative Council (MLC) member Mirza Rehmat Baig to extort money. According to a report by The Hindu, the accused initially demanded ₹5 crore and subsequently succeeded in collecting ₹4.7 lakh.

The arrested persons have been identified as 35-year-old Mohammad Mohsin Khan, 29-year-old Fatima Begum alias Reema, 20-year-old Mohammad Sameer, 20-year-old Mohammad Zamir, 18-year-old Mohammad Imran, and 20-year-old Syed Rehan. All the accused are residents of Hyderabad's Bandalguda, Chandrayangutta, and Barkas areas.

Police investigation has revealed that these accused, in collusion with some other absconding accomplices, had planned this conspiracy. They targeted MLC Mirza Rehmat Baig with the intention of overcoming financial distress and earning money quickly. The accused threatened Baig that if the money was not paid as demanded, his objectionable morphed photos and deepfake videos would be made viral on social media. They warned that this would damage his political and social reputation and could also pose a risk to his life.

According to the sequence of events, on 5 November, Fatima Begum, Sameer, Zamir, Imran, and Rehan went to the MLC's office located in Ibrahim Bagh. From there, Fatima Begum collected ₹4 lakh in cash in a cotton box. Based on specific information received by the police, as this group was leaving the scene, the police intercepted them and arrested all five accused. Subsequently, Mohammad Mohsin Khan was also arrested during the operation.

In this case, the police have seized a total of ₹4.7 lakh in cash, two auto-rickshaws, 6 mobile phones, and one laptop. According to the police, this cash amount was collected as part of the ransom.

Investigators stated that some members of this gang were responsible for obtaining morphed photos and deepfake videos and using them to intimidate the MLC, while other members were involved in spreading this content through various social media accounts. Currently, the police are making efforts to arrest the remaining accused and identify other individuals involved in this conspiracy and the dissemination of the content. Further investigation in this matter is ongoing.