Cricketer Rinku Singh Targeted in ₹5 Crore Extortion Plot; Police Uncover Larger Racket Tied to Electoral Bonds

Mumbai Police have arrested an alleged extortionist, Mohammad Dilshad Mohammad Naushad, for demanding ₹5 crore from Indian cricketer Rinku Singh. During interrogation, the accused revealed shocking details about a larger extortion racket targeting several billionaires who had purchased electoral bonds. His confession has prompted the police to heighten security and alertness, especially around high-profile individuals linked to political donations.

According to investigators, Naushad had previously come under police radar for issuing similar threats in the West Indies, where he allegedly tried to extort money from a well-known doctor. He was arrested there and later deported to India on August 1, 2025. Since then, his interrogation by Mumbai Crime Branch officials has uncovered multiple layers of his extortion network.

Naushad’s name had earlier surfaced in another case involving former Congress MLA Baba Siddiqui’s family. After Siddiqui’s murder, his son, Zishan Siddiqui, reportedly received threatening calls demanding ₹10 crore in ransom. During questioning, Naushad admitted that he was also behind those threats and had sent intimidating messages to Rinku Singh, claiming to act on behalf of the D-Company. These revelations caused a stir within law enforcement agencies.

Investigations further revealed that Naushad had demanded ₹20 crore from certain billionaire industrialists, many of whom were identified as major buyers of electoral bonds. Sources said the accused had meticulously listed the names of companies that had purchased the highest number of election bonds in India. One of these companies, based in Ahmedabad, ranks among the top ten electoral bond purchasers in the country. Naushad allegedly obtained these details after the Election Commission published the names and donation amounts of all electoral bond purchasers, following a Supreme Court directive last year. Exploiting this publicly available information, he began targeting the business tycoons for ransom.

On April 18, 2025, at 11:59 pm, Naushad allegedly sent a threatening email to one such industrialist. In the email, he wrote politely but menacingly, saying he was aware of the businessman’s movements, family details and residence. He warned the recipient not to contact the police and demanded ₹20 crore in cash, promising to share the time and location for the handover later. Earlier that same day, at 3:17 pm, he had sent another email to a well-known West Indies doctor named Dr. Alim, demanding ₹50 lakh. In that message, Naushad allegedly claimed he knew exactly how to plant a bomb in the doctor’s car.

Following the doctor’s complaint, authorities in the West Indies arrested Naushad. After his deportation to India in August, the Mumbai Crime Branch took him into custody and presented the digital evidence — including emails and messages sent to Rinku Singh and Zishan Siddiqui — before the court. Investigators said the evidence also indicated that Naushad had been collecting sensitive information on industrialists who bought electoral bonds, using it to intimidate and blackmail them.

Police officials stated that Naushad’s interrogation has so far revealed crucial insights into how he operated across countries, using encrypted emails and anonymous digital accounts to send threats. The Crime Branch is now trying to trace any associates or financers who might have supported his operations. They have also reached out to central agencies for assistance in tracking possible links between his extortion activities and organised networks abroad.

Naushad is currently in judicial custody as further investigations continue. Mumbai Police have assured that all those who received similar threats will be given protection. Authorities have also urged business owners and public figures to report any suspicious or extortion-related communication immediately to the cybercrime or local police units.