Spy cam in Rajkot clinic: Homeopath, 12 others booked for blackmail; 4,000 hidden clips recorded

RAJKOT: A case of surveillance and extortion has surfaced in Rajkot, where a homeopath allegedly installed a hidden camera in an ayurveda practitioner's clinic to record private moments and later used the footage for blackmail.

Cyber Crime police have registered an FIR under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 308(5), 308(4), 351(2), 356(3), 54 and 61, along with Sections 66(e), 67 and 67(a) of the Information Technology Act.

The complaint names Kamal Nandha and several individuals identified as local scribes: Hiren Makwana, Ajaysinh Chudasama, Hardik Dodiya, Jagdish Teraiya, Jigar Sodha, Ghanshyam Patel, Jatin Nathvani, Swati Nathvani, Amit Thakkar and Bharat. Two more suspects have been identified through mobile numbers.

Police said Nandha, who holds a BHMS degree, knew the complainant, an ayurveda practitioner who runs several clinics in the city. Nandha would often refer patients requiring injections to the clinic in question, giving him access to the premises.

The complainant had permitted allowed a woman acquaintance to operate from his second clinic on Sadhu Vasvani Road. Investigators said Nandha, suspecting a relationship between them, installed a hidden camera inside a lamp holder in the examination room.

"Believing the complainant had a relationship with the woman, the accused secretly installed a camera and recorded activities inside the clinic," said Jagdish Bangarwa, deputy commissioner of police (crime).

The camera captured private moments between the two and recorded patients being examined. Police estimate that between 2023 and mid-2024, around 3,000 to 4,000 video clips were created. They also suspect that Nandha was infatuated with the woman and installed the camera to confirm his suspicions about her relationship with the complainant.

In June 2024, the accused allegedly shared some of the footage with local scribes, who then used it to blackmail the complainant, threatening to release the clips. The accused allegedly demanded Rs 25 lakh to suppress the videos, and the complainant paid Rs 50,000 under pressure before approaching police.

"The victim was continually harassed and eventually approached us. We registered an offence after verifying the preliminary evidence," said J M Kaila. Police are yet to arrest the accused.

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