A doctor in Rajkot has been booked for allegedly installing a hidden camera inside a clinic and using recorded private footage to blackmail a colleague in a case of unrequitted love, police said. The accused, identified as Dr Kamal Nandha, is alleged to have acted out of one-sided love for a female doctor.

Authorities said more than 3,000 videos were recovered during the investigation, exposing a prolonged pattern of surveillance and extortion.

According to the complaint filed at the Rajkot Cyber Crime Police Station, the accused secretly installed a spy camera inside a bulb holder in a delivery room at a clinic located on Sadhu Vaswani Road.

The device recorded whenever the light was switched on, storing footage on a memory card.

Police said the accused would periodically replace the card to collect recordings, a practice believed to have continued since 2023.

Investigators said the footage included private moments of the complainant doctor and a female colleague.

The accused allegedly shared some of these clips with a group of local intermediaries and individuals posing as journalists.

The material was then used to threaten the victim with public exposure unless a ransom of Rs 25 lakh was paid.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Jagdish Bangarva said the accused holds a BHMS degree and had access to the clinic, which enabled him to plant the device undetected.

“The camera was concealed in a bulb holder and recorded footage onto a memory card,” he said, adding that the accused exploited opportunities to retrieve the data without raising suspicion.

Police said the blackmail attempt escalated over time, with repeated harassment and threats since 2024.

While the accused allegedly demanded Rs 25 lakh, investigators found that Rs 50,000 had been extorted from the victim so far.

A total of 12 individuals have been named in the case, facing charges including extortion, criminal conspiracy, intimidation and violations under the Information Technology Act.

The motive, according to the complaint, stemmed from the accused’s one-sided romantic interest in a female doctor, who was reportedly in a relationship with the complainant. Unable to come to terms with this, the accused allegedly used the illicit recordings as leverage.

Authorities have also launched action against others involved in circulating or exploiting the footage.

Police said efforts are underway to trace all accused persons and gather further evidence, including digital records linked to the videos.

The case has raised serious concerns about privacy violations and misuse of surveillance technology in professional spaces.

Investigators say further arrests are likely as the probe expands, while officials have urged medical establishments to strengthen internal security measures to prevent similar breaches.

Source: India Today