A TCS employee has been arrested in Nashik amid allegations of religious conversion and sexual harassment, sparking investigations into workplace practices and raising concerns about employee coercion.
Key Points
- TCS employee Nida Khan arrested in connection with religious conversion and sexual harassment allegations.
- Khan is accused of pressuring female colleagues to adopt Islamic practices and dietary habits.
- The Nashik police SIT is investigating multiple cases of molestation and harassment at the TCS unit.
- Khan faces charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
- TCS has a zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and has suspended employees allegedly involved.
Weeks after she went into hiding, 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, has been arrested, police said.
Arrest Details and Investigation
Nida Khan was held on Thursday in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nashik Police Commissioner Sandeep Karnik said.
A crime branch team from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, led by the city's police chief Pravin Pawar, had been tracking Khan's movements for the past few days, he said.
Khan is an accused in the Deolali Camp police station crime register number 156/26 here, he said.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Nashik police is probing nine cases of molestation and harassment at the IT major's Nashik unit.
Allegations and Previous Arrests
It had arrested eight persons, including a female operations manager, by registering nine FIRs after allegations of exploitation, attempt of forceful conversion, hurting religious sentiments, molestation and mental harassment of female employees at the TCS unit came to light.
The SIT had launched a search for Khan in different parts of Maharashtra. She is accused of targeting employees in a WhatsApp group, pressuring them to pray and eat non-vegetarian food.
Details of the FIR
According to the FIR, Khan allegedly advised women employees to dress and behave in accordance with Islamic traditions.
Some complainants have also alleged that they were coerced or pressured into adopting religious practices, including praying, changing dietary habits, and adopting religious symbols.
Legal Charges and TCS Response
Besides Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) provisions for sexual harassment and defamation, Khan has also been booked under relevant sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, as the complainant belongs to a Scheduled Caste.
On April 18, she had moved the Nashik court seeking anticipatory bail and interim protection from arrest pending the plea hearing, citing her pregnancy. Her anticipatory bail plea was rejected by a court here on May 2.
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.
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