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Hyderabad: Police on Monday, June 22, arrested a 57-year-old for allegedly extorting and threatening Hyderabad builders with false criminal cases if they failed to pay him money.

Habeeb Ali Baghdadi from King Koti has a rowdy sheet registered at the AbidsPolice Station. According to the police, he would visit newly constructed buildings, identify loopholes or alleged violations, take photographs of the properties, and post them on Facebook while tagging the GHMC, Income Tax Department or other officials.

He would then blackmail the builders and property owners to give him money. If his demands were not fulfilled, he would file complaints before the authorities seeking demolition of the said buildings, police said.

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Baghdadi was arrested on Monday, following a complaint from an Azampura-based builder who alleged that the former had been harassing the builder for many months by demanding Rs 50 lakh as extortion money.

Two months ago, Baghdadi had gone to the construction premises located in the Kaladera area of Malakpet and allegedly displayed a knife, warning the builder and his employees. On June 9, the incident repeated. This time, he threatened the construction site watchman.

Baghdadi was later granted bail by the court, Dabeerpura Station House Officer P Upashankar told Siasat.com. He has 15 cases against him at Abids and Naryanguda Police Station, which are currently under investigation, the SHO added.

Meanwhile, Baghdadi has refuted all allegations and instead claimed that a false case was booked against him by builders of unauthorised constructions.

Baghdadi said he had filed a complaint against Syed Yousuf Shareef, over unauthorised constructions and the sale of illegal flats, following which GHMC conducted inspections of the concerned sites and issued show-cause notices and speaking orders.

Baghdadi said he has been subjected to intimidation, threats and false criminal cases, so that he would withdraw his complaints.

He also claimed that the rowdy sheet against him is presently under adjudication before the National Commission for Minorities and the Lokayukta.

Correction:

The story has been updated with Baghdadi’s statement. It was previously mentioned that Baghdadi has been sent to judicial remand, which has now been corrected. The error is regretted.

June 22, 2026 at 8:29 PM

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