Nashik TCS case: Accused seeks bail citing pregnancy

A TCS employee accused of religious conversion and sexual harassment in Nashik has applied for anticipatory bail, as police continue to investigate the alleged misconduct at the IT firm.

A female employee of the TCS unit in Nashik, accused in a case related to alleged religious conversion and sexual harassment of some women colleagues at the office, on Saturday, moved an anticipatory bail application, citing her two-month-old pregnancy.

The accused, identified as Nida Khan, stated that the charges invoked against her attract less than seven years of punishment.

Khan's plea will be heard by the Nashik sessions court on Monday.

Police Remand Extended for Male Accused

Separately, a court extended the police remand of two male accused, Raza Memon (35) and Shafi Sheikh (36), in the alleged sexual harassment and religious conversion case till April 20 to allow police to identify and question key witnesses and collect more evidence.

Nida Khan's lawyer has denied the charges against his client, saying she cannot be accused of outraging the modesty of other women.

Nashik Police Commissioner Sandip Karnik had said that Khan is accused in only one case of religious harassment at the IT firm unit.

Memon and Sheikh are among the seven employees, including a woman HR manager, who have been arrested so far, while Nida Khan is absconding.

The duo was arrested afresh in a related case on Wednesday and were produced before a magistrate at the end of their remand on Saturday.

The other accused are already in judicial custody.

The police requested the court to extend their remand for five days to identify and question key witnesses in the case.

The accused have allegedly committed various acts with religious motives against male and female colleagues.

Due to the large scope of these crimes, a detailed interrogation is needed, the police said.

Government lawyers Kiran Bendbhar and Aniket Avhad submitted that the accused duo are habitual offenders with multiple cases registered against them at the Mumbai Naka police station in Nashik.

The prosecution submitted that the custody of Memon and Sheikh is required to conduct a technical analysis of their mobile phones.

Additionally, police need to identify and question eyewitnesses and collect further evidence.

Defence Arguments and TCS Clarification

Defence lawyers Rahul Kasliwal and Baba Sayyad questioned the need for physical police custody of the accused for analysing technical evidence, such as the recovery of the password, and urged that they be remanded in judicial custody.

TCS on Friday clarified that Khan is not an HR manager, but a process associate and never held any leadership role.

A Nashik police Crime Branch team is currently stationed in Mumbra in Thane district to track down Khan, and questioned her husband on Friday, an official said.

Police sources had said that Khan's husband was questioned at his home about her whereabouts.

"The investigative team is following specific leads in Mumbra. We have information that the accused had shifted her base to evade arrest," a police officer said on Friday.

According to another official, her husband told the police his wife had gone to a relative's house.

However, when the police team reached the relative's residence, it was found locked. Also, the mobile phones of the accused and her relative were switched off, he said.

TCS Response and Internal Investigation

A Special Investigation Team is probing a total of nine cases registered in connection with the alleged exploitation, attempt of forceful conversion, hurting religious sentiments, molestation and mental harassment of female employees at the TCS unit.

TCS has clarified that it has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and coercion of any form for a long time, and the employees allegedly involved in sexual harassment at the Nashik office have been suspended.

Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran had termed sexual harassment as 'gravely concerning and anguishing', and announced that a thorough internal investigation was underway to establish the facts and identify individuals responsible for the situation.

TCS on Friday said that it had not received any complaints through its internal channels on the matter.

According to a preliminary probe, the company didn't receive any complaints, as alleged, a statement said.

'A preliminary review of the systems and records pertaining to the Nashik unit indicates that we have not received any complaints of the nature that are being alleged on either our ethics or POSH (prevention of sexual harassment) channels,' it said.

The country's largest IT services company also announced an oversight panel and engagement of external entities in its internal probe.