Gujarat: CCTV's password became the reason for the country's biggest cyber crime, videos of women were sold on the internet.:

News Topical, Digital Desk : Imagine just one default password, "admin123," and it exposed the biggest cyber breach of privacy for women across the country. This case, which began at Rajkot's Payal Maternity Hospital, is now considered one of India's most horrific digital crimes.

Hackers breached the hospital's CCTV system and stole hours of video of women undergoing examinations in the gynecology ward. These videos were later sold on international pornographic networks. Initially, it was thought to be a minor security breach, but as the investigation progressed, it was revealed that it was an organized cyber racket operating across the country.

How was it revealed

According to a report in The Times of India, the police swung into action when some videos of the Rajkot hospital started appearing on YouTube channels Megha Mbbs and cp monda. Investigations revealed that links to these videos led people to Telegram groups, where they were being sold for between ₹700 and ₹4,000.

When the cyber team investigated, a shocking truth emerged. 80 CCTV dashboards across the country had been hacked. These included cities like Pune, Mumbai, Nashik, Surat, Ahmedabad, and Delhi. The victims were spread across 20 states. Not just hospitals, but cameras in schools, offices, factories, and even homes were also targeted.

50,000 clips stolen in 9 months

According to the investigation report, approximately 50,000 video clips were stolen between January 2024 and December 2024. These files were sold on the dark web and porn networks around the world. Most shockingly, even after the perpetrators were arrested, these clips continued to circulate on Telegram until June 2025.

According to cyber experts, most CCTV systems in India still run on the same factory-set password: admin123. An official from the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch explained, "The main method used was a brute force attack. In this, software tries millions of letter and number combinations to crack the password. If the password is simple, like admin123, the system can be unlocked within minutes."

The main accused, Parit Dhamelia, a B.Com graduate, used three specialized software to run the entire operation. The second accused, Rohit Sisodia, who was arrested in Delhi, holds a diploma in medical lab technology. He used stolen login details to gain remote access to the hospital's cameras.