Hyderabad: What can a hapless ordinary citizen do in the face of harassment and abuse by a political leader and elected representative?

Name and shame him using technology and social media, and force the police to act.

This is what a non-resident Indian woman did after her two-year long effort to evict a Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) member of Telangana legislative council failed to yield results.

What helped the lady was the rude and abusive behaviour and threat of violence by the MLC, Farooq Hussain, who was recorded on a secret camera by the victim, who then took it straight to area police station.

Amatul Wasey, a Hyderabadi woman who lives in New York had rented out her apartment in a residential complex in Lakdi Ka Pul area six years ago for Rs10,000 (Dh562). About two years ago she asked Hussain to vacate as she wanted to sell the property. But Wasey said Hussain refused to vacate and stopped paying the rent.

Fearing that MLC was planning to usurp the property, the woman came to Hyderabad and visited the flat with her brother Mujtaba Alvi. Fearing trouble, she armed herself with a spy camera.

The video which has gone viral on social media shows the MLC verbally abusing the landlord and threatening to assault her with slippers. He finally pushes them out of the flat.

When Wasey threatens to lodge a complaint with the chief minister the MLC is heard telling the lady, “go to CM or Commissioner nobody can do anything”.

Later Wasey visited the Nampally police station and lodged a complaint against the MLC.

Police inspector R. Sanjay Kumar said a case of criminal intimidation and outraging the modesty of a woman was booked againsst Hussain.

“The case is under investigation,” he said.

As the video was making rounds over the internet, the MLC denied the allegation and said that he had sought some more time to stay in the flat as his flat in MLAS Quarters was under repair.

He said he did not know the lady and had taken the house on rent from one Abdul Samad. “I had entered an agreement with him and did not know the lady was the owner,” he said.

He defended his offensive behaviour saying the lady had first abused him. “It was blackmail,” he said.

Talking to the media Hussain offered to vacate the flat whenever the owner wants.

Hussain hails from Medak and was earlier with the Congress party.

The incident occurred on a day when Hussain was included in the list of 33 secretaries of the TRS party.