In one of India’s most horrifying cyber privacy breaches, intimate visuals of women undergoing gynaecological checkups at a maternity hospital in Rajkot, Gujarat, were hacked, stolen, and sold online — turning private medical moments into pornographic material for profit.
The disturbing scandal began with an act of sheer negligence: the hospital’s CCTV system was left protected by its default password — “admin123.” This simple oversight allowed hackers to access, record, and leak thousands of hours of footage from Payal Maternity Hospital, which caters to hundreds of women daily.
According to The Times of India, hackers breached the system between January and December 2024, stealing around 50,000 clips — most showing pregnant women and new mothers during their consultations and examinations.
The Shocking Spread of Footage
The videos were first teased on YouTube channels named “Megha Mbbs” and “cp monda”, where viewers were directed to Telegram groups to purchase the full footage. Prices ranged from ₹700 to ₹4,000, depending on the content.
Investigators later discovered that this criminal network wasn’t limited to one hospital. CCTV systems from multiple hospitals and institutions across India — including Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Surat, Nashik, and Delhi — were compromised. Even schools, corporate offices, cinema halls, factories, and private homes were found to have been infiltrated.
Cyber Criminals Arrested, But Damage Persists
Police arrested the culprits in February 2025, but by then, the videos had already spread across the internet, circulating on pornographic websites and Telegram channels. Shockingly, investigators found that these illegal clips remained accessible online until June 2025.
A senior cyber officer involved in the case said, “This entire operation thrived because of administrative negligence. Most CCTV systems in India still use factory-set passwords like ‘admin123’ or ‘123456’. Hackers can easily access these networks using simple search tools.”
Cybersecurity experts warn that such incidents reveal a massive privacy blind spot in India’s digital infrastructure, especially in sensitive institutions like hospitals and schools.
The Human Cost of Digital Negligence
Beyond the technical lapses, the crime has raised grave concerns about medical ethics, women’s privacy, and online safety. Victims — unaware that their medical visits were being filmed — have reportedly faced psychological trauma knowing their most intimate moments were traded for money.
Authorities are now pushing for stricter cybersecurity standards in all healthcare and public facilities, including mandatory password changes, encryption, and regular system audits.
As India grapples with growing digitisation, the Rajkot CCTV scandal serves as a chilling reminder that a single careless password can destroy thousands of lives.
Disclaimer: This article references information reported by WioNews
