A court in Maharashtra’s Nashik on Monday granted bail to Nida Khan, an employee earlier attached to the city’s Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) unit, who was among the accused in an alleged religious conversion and sexual harassment case which unfolded at the company’s Nashik office. 

The order was passed on Monday, nearly two months after Khan was arrested in connection with the case. She remained absconding for 43 days after being booked by police. 

Additional Sessions Judge KG Joshi of the Nashik Road Court gave the nod to Khan’s bail application but declined to extend similar relief to her accomplice, Danish Sheikh, who will remain in judicial custody as the probe progresses in the case. 

Pregnancy cited as the ground for bail

Advocate Rahul Kasliwal, representing Khan, sought bail mainly on humanitarian grounds. He informed the court that the accused is pregnant. The prosecution, meanwhile, opposed the plea, contending that the probe had unearthed substantial evidence pointing towards an organised setup of sexual exploitation and religious coercion. 

Public prosecutor Vijay Gaikwad and the victim’s legal representatives, urged the court to junk the bail applications of the accused duo. They maintained that the allegations against the duo were serious and that they were supported by material garnered during the police probe.

As per the prosecution, the evidence indicates that the victim was allegedly subjected to relentless sexual exploitation besides ensuring that her religious beliefs are influenced. 

Victim was provided with Islamic religious book, burqa

Furthermore, the prosecution alleged that Danish Shaikh had provided the complainant woman, a colleague, with an Islamic religious book and a burqa, with the motive to encourage her religious conversion. 

The investigating police personnel also claimed that the accused were aware of the fact that the complainant belonged to a Scheduled Caste (SC), yet subjected her to religious conversion. The prosecution then claimed that these acts formed part of a deliberate pattern of exploitation and coercion.

Rape FIR lays bare malpractice at TCS Nashik 

The case stems from a First Information Report (FIR) registered at Deolali Camp Police Station, registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 69 (sexual intercourse by employing deceitful means), Section 65 (Sexual harassment) and Section 299 (Outraging religious feelings of a person). Relevant provisions of the SC/ST (Atrocities Act) have also been invoked against the accused.

SIT continues probe into similar other complaints

Notably, police had registered a total of nine such FIRs, and later, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had been constituted for a probe. All complaints mentioned sexual exploitation, religious conversion coercion, molestation, hurting religious sentiments and mental harassment involving female employees at the company’s Nashik facility. 

After the allegations took the internet by a storm, TCS reiterated that it maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards workplace harassment and coercion of any kind. The company further informed that it had suspended all the employees accused of orchestrating the crime pending the outcome of the probe.