The CCTV footage hacking scandal in Gujarat has spurred the govt into action. As the scandal in which footage from a Rajkot gynaecology hospital and various public places were sold nationally and internationally, the state health department has begun drafting standard operating procedure (SOP) for the installation of CCTV cameras in hospitals and other clinical establishments.
While announcing this on Monday, the state govt also said that CCTV footage of a woman being examined at Rajkot’s Payal Maternity Home and about 50,000 such clips from across 20 states of the country were hacked by international gangs using virtual private networks (VPN).
Speaking on a “matter of public importance” notice introduced by Congress MLAs, minister of home for state Harsh Sanghavi said the state govt conducted “exemplary investigation” into the leak of the Rajkot maternity home footage.
“Our teams reached Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and arrests were made within 48 hours of the incident coming to light. Hacking of CCTV footage was done using virtual private networks (VPN) by an international gang operating from other countries. The 50,000-odd videos that have been identified were hacked from places in at least 20 states of the country,” Sanghavi told the house.
The hacking was done by individuals from countries like Georgia, Romania, Japan, Atlanta, and sold through 22 different channels on Telegram, he said. Earlier, in response to questions by Congress MLAs, state health minister Rushikesh Patel clarified there are no guidelines for installation of CCTV cameras in hospitals, but the state health department had on Feb 17 this year issued a circular asking all units to ensure that CCTV cameras are not installed at places where physical examination of patients is done.
“The videos were up for sale on YouTube and Telegram. Cops purchased footage and made leads in the investigation through bank details. Gujarat is the first state to add cyber terrorism clauses in the FIR, and we will press for a day-to-day hearing of the case in a fast-track court,” Sanghavi said, adding that based on media reports, Gujarat Police could have arrested doctors of the hospital, but it does not arrest innocent persons to close the case file.
Rajkot health dept drafting SOP on CCTV camera installation in hospitals
The CCTV footage hacking scandal in Gujarat has spurred the govt into action. As the scandal in which footage from a Rajkot gynaecology hospital and various public places were sold nationally and internationally, the state health department has begun drafting standard operating procedure (SOP) for the installation of CCTV cameras in hospitals and other clinical establishments.
While announcing this on Monday, the state govt also said that CCTV footage of a woman being examined at Rajkot’s Payal Maternity Home and about 50,000 such clips from across 20 states of the country were hacked by international gangs using virtual private networks (VPN).
Speaking on a “matter of public importance” notice introduced by Congress MLAs, minister of home for state Harsh Sanghavi said the state govt conducted “exemplary investigation” into the leak of the Rajkot maternity home footage.
“Our teams reached Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and arrests were made within 48 hours of the incident coming to light. Hacking of CCTV footage was done using virtual private networks (VPN) by an international gang operating from other countries. The 50,000-odd videos that have been identified were hacked from places in at least 20 states of the country,” Sanghavi told the house.
The hacking was done by individuals from countries like Georgia, Romania, Japan, Atlanta, and sold through 22 different channels on Telegram, he said. Earlier, in response to questions by Congress MLAs, state health minister Rushikesh Patel clarified there are no guidelines for installation of CCTV cameras in hospitals, but the state health department had on Feb 17 this year issued a circular asking all units to ensure that CCTV cameras are not installed at places where physical examination of patients is done.
“The videos were up for sale on YouTube and Telegram. Cops purchased footage and made leads in the investigation through bank details. Gujarat is the first state to add cyber terrorism clauses in the FIR, and we will press for a day-to-day hearing of the case in a fast-track court,” Sanghavi said, adding that based on media reports, Gujarat Police could have arrested doctors of the hospital, but it does not arrest innocent persons to close the case file.
