Ahmedabad cyber crime police on Thursday, February 20, arrested three people for their involvement in uploading and selling private videos of women at hospitals across social media platforms.
The accused aged between 20 and 25 have been identified as Prajwal Ashok Teli from Maharashtra’s Latur, Prajapati Rajendra Patil from Sangli, and Chandraprakash Phoolchand from Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj.
A case was registered under sections 66E and 67 of the Cyber Crime IT Act. “All accused are being transported to Ahmedabad on transit remand,” said Sharad Singhal, JCP (Crime), Ahmedabad City Police.
The case was registered and arrests were made after the news of the incident came to light that CCTV videos from Payal Maternity Home in Rajkot were leaked on the internet, sparking huge outrage. Soon after, the authorities launched a nationwide operation across Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh to nab the culprits.
During the police investigation, it was discovered that the culprits had gained unauthorized access to hospital and public CCTV systems to record videos of the women during medical examinations which were then distributed on various online platforms.
Prajwal Ashok Teli was a mastermind of the scandal. He and Prajapati Rajendra Patil were roommates preparing for the NEET exam when they devised the plan to turn the medical facility videos into profitable content. Later Chandraprakash Phoolchand also joined the accused.
Modus operandi
The police investigation revealed that the offenders operated multiple online channels, including YouTube accounts and a Telegram group through which they shared the illegal content.
The accused used to upload snippet-like teasers of the illicit content on YouTube. Shockingly, full video access was available to customers for prices between Rs 800 and Rs 4,000, which included not only gynaecological examinations but also footage captured in public spaces.
Police authorities investigated both the locations and the total number of videos that the accused accessed and sold illegally. The police are conducting investigations to trace the money streams behind this case. Based on current evidence the police have not discovered any connection between nursing home staff from Rajkot and the illicit operation.
“The cybercrime branch, Ahmedabad city, has busted the entire racket by arresting three people from different states in 36 hours for posting videos of the treatment of a female patient in the hospital’s check-up room and making them go viral on social media/YouTube channels,” Ahmedabad cyber crime wrote on X.
