Hyderabad Police Arrest 61-Year-Old Man for Land Grabbing and Extortion Racket

Authorities in Hyderabad have taken decisive action against a long-standing criminal following a series of complaints regarding land grabbing and extortion. On Tuesday, the Chaderghat Police successfully apprehended 61-year-old Mohammed Abdul Quddus, a resident of Bandlaguda, who had been evading the law for his involvement in systemic criminal activities, including document forgery and conspiracy.

Details of the Extortion and Land Grabbing Case

The investigation into the accused revealed that Mohammed Abdul Quddus utilized a predatory method to target property owners. He frequently identified buildings under construction or properties listed for sale in advertisements to launch his illegal operations. By fabricating ownership documents, specifically using forged Hibanama papers—a legal instrument under Muslim Sharia law for gifting property—he would lay false claims to ancestral lands and newly developed sites. His goal was to coerce victims into paying large sums of money by threatening them with litigation or filing false criminal charges.

One of the primary complainants, Mohammed Najamuddin Shakir, a resident of New Malakpet, reported that his family's ancestral property became the target of this scheme. Despite having all necessary GHMC construction permissions, the victim was subjected to threats from Quddus and an associate identified as Raja. The duo allegedly demanded an extortion payment of Rs 10 lakh. When the victim resisted, the suspects escalated their intimidation tactics, threatening to falsely implicate him in murder cases if their demands were not met.

Following the filing of the complaint, the accused went into hiding to escape law enforcement. A special police team conducted a thorough investigation to track his movements, eventually locating him at his son’s home in Ganganagar, Bengaluru, on June 22. Upon his arrest, he was transported back to the city to face the judicial process. On Tuesday, he was formally presented before the VIII Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate in Nampally.

Impact of Legal Enforcement

The arrest of Mohammed Abdul Quddus marks a significant breakthrough for the local police, who describe him as a habitual offender involved in multiple instances of fraud. Estimates from the ongoing investigation suggest that the suspect managed to extort approximately Rs 40 lakh from various victims across Hyderabad. This case serves as a stern reminder of the importance of maintaining verified property documentation and reporting suspicious attempts at extortion to the authorities promptly to protect personal assets and maintain communal safety.