A 22-year-old man was arrested on Friday for allegedly recording a 20-year-old woman, the daughter of a cancer patient, at a government-run hospital in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut. According to reports, the woman had been staying at the hospital to care for her mother, who is receiving treatment for cancer.
The accused, a Muzaffarnagar resident, had accompanied his wife to the hospital for her tuberculosis treatment when he allegedly violated the woman's privacy. Police confirmed the accused's wife is currently undergoing treatment for tuberculosis at the same facility.
This incident occurs at the same hospital where a 13-year-old patient was allegedly raped in the orthopaedic ward last month. Following that horrific incident, hospital authorities had claimed to have tightened security measures to prevent future crimes.
The victim, who hails from Amroha, reported to police that she received an unsolicited video clip from an unknown number, after which the sender began blackmailing her. In her complaint, she alleged the perpetrator had secretly recorded her while she was bathing in the hospital's washroom.
Police confirmed the woman had been staying at the medical facility for several days with her mother. In her formal complaint, the victim stated the accused had somehow obtained her contact details. After returning home, she began receiving disturbing content and persistent calls. The alleged blackmailer pressured her into phone conversations, apparently seeking a romantic relationship, and threatened to release the compromising video if she refused his advances. Later, the accused made the videos public.
Station House Officer Sheelesh Yadav told The Times of India that a case has been registered under BNS Sections 77 (voyeurism) and 351-2 (criminal intimidation), along with relevant provisions of the IT Act. The accused was produced in court and has been remanded in custody.
