Private videos of women patients undergoing medical examinations at Payal maternity hospital in Rahkot, Gujarat have been uploaded on a youtube channel, circulated via access through a link on Telegram for sale. The matter came to attention after the videos surfaced on Youtube triggering outrage. Following which, a case was registered against the maternity hospital.

The Youtube channel named Megha MBBS uploaded seven videos of Payal Maternity Hospital. The access to the videos was offered through a telegram link with a charging fee ranging from Rs.999 to Rs.1500. According to the police, it is the same telegram account that was sharing the footage of women taking dip at Mahakumbh in its thumbnail.

The videos appear to be CCTV footage showing women patients being examined by a female doctor in a closed room, upon receiving injections from the nurse. Assistant Commissioner of Police (Cyber Crime) Hardik Makadia said, “The accused has uploaded seven such videos on the Youtube channel and had given the link of a telegram group in the description. Members of the group were asked to pay a fee to watch similar videos. To attract members to play subscription, the accused had shared screen grabs of similar videos.”

The telegram group was created in September 2024 and the Youtube channel was launched in January this year. The telegram group that was promoting the Youtube channel had over 90 members.

Responding to the video leak, an official from Payal maternity hospital claimed that the CCTV cameras must have been hacked. The hospital authorities said, “Someone must have accessed our videos illegally. We have done nothing wrong and will fully cooperate with the police investigation.”

After the filing of the case, the Rajkot Cyber Crime Police is interrogating the entire hospital staff, including the doctors. The police said, “The content of the videos is being investigating. We are investigating who took these videos and for what purpose. We are filing a case under sections 66E, 67 of the Cyber Crime IT Act.”

The maternity hospital did not state why were CCTV cameras installed in a space where women’s privacy is compromised. This puts up a question mark on the security of women at a place which has to be the utmost safe for them.