In a shocking case of cybercrime, Gujarat police have arrested three individuals who had engaged in illegal sale of videos of women who had been for medical tests at a gynecology hospital in Rajkot. The accused, as per the investigators, had run at least 22 Telegram channels, collecting about ₹8 lakh in the past one year by selling such illegal videos.
Exposing the Operation
It was disclosed in the investigations that the accused were operating under the banner of the "Megha Demos Group." Their Telegram channels had names like "CCTV Injection Group," "Labor Room Injection Group," and "Ganga River Open Bathing Group," which they used as platforms to share non-consensual and invasive videos. Shockingly, some of them were secret footage taken from hospital maternity wards, medicare check-up rooms, and even open spaces like bus stands, wedding halls, salons, and the sacred Ganga River for religious immersion rituals.
Cybercrime police have stated that the accused exploited religious events such as the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, where they secretly taped women performing religious rituals. This spine-chilling revelation has set alarm bells ringing over digital privacy and misuse of surveillance technology.
Who are the Accused?
The cybercrime branch and Ahmedabad city crime branch traced and arrested three suspects:
Prajwal Taili (Latur, Maharashtra) - Suspected mastermind
Praj Patil (Sangli, Maharashtra)
Chandraprakash Phoolchand (Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh)
Taili and Patil, both would-be NEETs, were reportedly living together in a rented flat in Latur as they prepared for the exams. They purportedly lured subscribers by playing free teasers in a "Demo Group" and demanded ₹800 to ₹2,000 to watch a "Premium Group," where full-length videos existed. According to police sources, the three are said to have earned an estimated ₹8 lakh from this unlawful operation.
Legal Actions and Investigations
The police of cybercrime produced the accused in a local court on Friday, which remanded them to seven days of police custody. The case came into the spotlight after the cybercrime branch launched a suo motu investigation, which discovered objectionable videos of women in the labor and check-up wards of the Rajkot hospital.
Meanwhile, forensic teams are analyzing digital evidence like mobile phones, laptops, and Telegram accounts used in the operation. Law enforcement authorities are also working with Telegram's cybercrime compliance unit to shut down the illicit channels and monitor their subscriber base.
Hospital's Response to the Breach
The hospital, which is based in a business complex close to Raiya Crossroads in Rajkot, is under intense questioning. Their CCTV server was supposedly hacked, and the subsequent unauthorized release of sensitive footage, the director claims. Rajkot's Deputy Commissioner of Crime, Dr. Parthrajsinh Gohil, has confirmed this report that a special team has been dispatched to assess the data security protection of the hospital.
Cybersecurity experts urge that hospitals should use advanced encryption systems and multi-factor authentication in order to shut down unauthorized entry to surveillance footage.
Emerging Alarm on Telegram-Based Exploitation
The case at hand is a more widespread issue of non-consensual sharing of content via Telegram. The messaging application has been increasing under criticism for failing to monitor illegal content. Reports indicate that a number of AI-powered bots on Telegram fabricate and exchange fake explicit material regarding individuals without their consent.
According to a recent New York Post report, millions of people worldwide are using these AI bots to create non-consensual explicit content, further fueling privacy violations.
Legal and Ethical Implications
Unlawful recording and distribution of personal videos contravene several provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as well as the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000. These offenses under such legislation are punishable with rigorous jail terms of up to five years and substantial fines.
This event draws attention to the pressing need for cyber crime law reforms and strengthening the cybersecurity in government agencies and medical facilities.
Paying for and Protecting Your Digital Services
It is wise in this sense that individuals keep their privacy secure by:
Avoiding Public Surveillance Areas: Use caution near hospital and public space security cameras.
Enabling Two-Factor Authentication: Secure personal devices against hacking and unauthorized access.
Reporting Illegal Content: If you find illegal videos on the web, report them immediately to law enforcement or website moderators.
Encouraging Tougher Online Content Legislation: Support legislation that encourages tougher online content regulations.
The Rajkot hospital video scandal is an eye-opener for authorities, institutions, and people to understand the need to guard privacy. While cybercrooks exploit loopholes in technology, governments and the industry must work together to devise stronger cybersecurity practices and legislations to deter such heinous crimes.
For more on online privacy issues, learn more about how Telegram's absence of content moderation is causing an explosion of illegal content in this Wired story.
With evolving digital threats comes the need to evolve our protection strategies. The battle for online security and privacy has to be shared by all, keeping everyone's rights safe in an increasingly connected world.