Sat Sep 06 16:10:00 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary and a news article based on the provided text:
**Summary:**
A Hyderabad-based organization called HYDRA, which handles public grievances related to land encroachment and illegal construction, has filed a police complaint alleging that a group of individuals, including a disbarred lawyer and digital media representatives, extorted ₹50 lakhs from a complainant. The extortion occurred under the pretense of resolving a land dispute involving a construction company accused of encroaching on a lake. Hyderabad Police Commissioner AV Ranganath advised the public to directly contact HYDRA officials at their office and warned against individuals falsely claiming affiliations with HYDRA to solicit money.
**News Article:**
**HYDRA Scam: Hyderabad Digital Media Representatives Accused of Extorting ₹50 Lakhs**
**Hyderabad, September 5, 2025** – A major extortion scandal has rocked Hyderabad, with digital media representatives implicated in allegedly extorting ₹50 lakhs from a complainant under the guise of representing HYDRA, an organization that handles public grievances related to illegal constructions and land encroachments.
HYDRA filed a police complaint alleging that a group of individuals, including a disbarred High Court lawyer and digital media personnel, conspired to swindle the money from a person involved in a land dispute with Vertex construction company. Vertex is accused of encroaching on land and building on a lake in Mankhal village, Tukkuguda Municipality.
According to the complaint, the complainant stated he paid ₹50 lakhs to an individual to resolve the dispute. HYDRA’s investigation revealed that the money was received by the disbarred lawyer and the digital media representatives.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner AV Ranganath has issued a public advisory, urging citizens to be cautious of individuals falsely claiming affiliations with HYDRA to solicit money. He emphasized that anyone wishing to lodge a complaint with HYDRA should directly contact officials at their office in Buddha Bhavan. The Commissioner also reminded the public that they can report issues of land encroachment and illegal occupation every Monday at the Prajavani program.
“We have received information that some individuals are misleading the public by claiming to be connected to HYDRA officials and offering to get their work done,” Commissioner Ranganath stated. “We urge the public to be vigilant and not fall prey to such scams.”
Based on Ranganath’s orders, authorities have registered a case against the implicated individuals at the Pahadishareef Police Station. The investigation is ongoing.
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