Hyderabad: Police busted an extortion racket in the Charminar area and arrested an absconding accused involved in collecting illegal money from pushcart vendors. The extortion racket surfaced after a vendor lodged a complaint.
Charminar Police acted under the supervision of the DCP, Charminar Zone, and apprehended Azhar Khan, 44, near a sugarcane juice stall on March 24, 2026.
An extortion racket targeted pushcart vendors in Charminar
Police said the accused, along with associates, forced vendors to pay daily “mamool” to continue business. Initially, they collected ₹500 per day. However, they later increased the amount to ₹1,000.
The accused threatened vendors with violence and intimidation. In some cases, they used knives and forced vendors to vacate their spots.
During questioning, Azhar Khan confessed to working with Al-Shaik Naseeruddin, also known as Ganna Naseer, and Md. Azaan Quadri, alias Toufeeq. Meanwhile, police identified Naseeruddin as a rowdy sheeter from Bhavani Nagar Police Station with multiple criminal cases.
Officials said police had already arrested one co-accused earlier and sent him to remand. Subsequently, officers produced the accused before the court, which remanded him to judicial custody.
The case was registered under Crime No. 49/2026 under relevant sections of BNS. Therefore, police intensified efforts to track the remaining accused and dismantle the extortion racket.
Police urged vendors and citizens not to yield to illegal demands. They also asked them to report such incidents immediately to ensure strict action against offenders.
𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝘂𝘀𝗵 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱; 𝗔𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗿𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱
Under the supervision of DCP Charminar Zone, the Charminar Police apprehended an absconding accused involved in an illegal… pic.twitter.com/DQM5X47Pac
— Hyderabad City Police (@hydcitypolice) March 25, 2026