A Nashik court on Friday remanded Nida Khan, the primary accused in the alleged sexual harassment and religious coercion case at a Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) unit in the city, to police custody until May 11, as reported by news agency PTI.
Arrest and Court Appearance
Khan, who is also an employee of the IT giant, was arrested on Thursday from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar after allegedly remaining absconding since the case came to light. She was produced before the Nashik Road court on Friday, where police sought her custody for further investigation. The court granted the plea, remanding her to police custody until May 11.
Previous Anticipatory Bail Rejection
Earlier, on May 2, the court had rejected Khan’s anticipatory bail application, observing that there appeared to be a “systematic plan” to brainwash the complainant through “organized attempts.” The court also remarked that “the magnitude of the offense is truly multi-dimensional and multi-layered” and stated that custodial interrogation was necessary to reach the “root of the case.”
Ongoing Investigation
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Nashik police is currently probing nine cases linked to alleged molestation and harassment at the TCS unit in Nashik. So far, eight individuals, including a female operations manager, have been arrested after nine FIRs were registered in connection with allegations of exploitation, attempted forced religious conversion, hurting religious sentiments, molestation, and mental harassment of female employees at the office.
TCS Response
Tata Consultancy Services stated that it has long maintained a zero-tolerance policy toward harassment and coercion of any kind, adding that employees allegedly involved in the sexual harassment case at its Nashik office have been suspended.
