I recently came across a post by my friend, Kunal (aka h00dy), which detailed an extremely disheartening incident involving The Hackers Meetup Delhi. As someone who values integrity and respect within the cybersecurity community, I feel compelled to speak up on the unethical behavior that took place.

Kunal, who has worked hard to create Engineering Day CTF, had his work blatantly stolen and reused during THM Delhi's event on September 21-22, 2024, without his consent or any form of acknowledgment. I know Kunal for several years now and have seen him working very hard towards his skills and his dedication is not hidden from anyone. These challenges, for which he dedicated his time and efforts, were taken and presented as part of the The Hacker's Meetup event under false pretenses. Later, he was given credit but only after he confronted them. Giving credits after getting caught does not gives them any right to use his CTFs.

The most shocking part is that when Kunal reached out to the THM Delhi team to address this issue, he was ignored, later deflected, and even threatened by some members of their team as I have got to know from my other friend who was with him during the event. This is a completely pathetic behavior shown by a community that claims to be a "hackers meetup". People with no respect towards fellow hackers are no hacker. This is not just a copyright infringement issue, but also a question of basic respect for the efforts and time individuals put into creating valuable resources for the community.

I strongly believe that The Hacker's Meetup owes Kunal a public apology. The event organizers should admit their mistake and take responsibility for their actions. Not only has this incident tarnished a talented young person's trust, but it has also exposed how poorly these meetups are organized, with little regard for ethical standards or the contributions of creators.