TCS Nashik Religious Harassment Case: Pregnant Employee Seeks Anticipatory Bail
In a significant development in the ongoing TCS Nashik office harassment case, the 26-year-old woman employee accused of subjecting a co-worker to religious harassment has filed an anticipatory bail plea before the Nashik Road Sessions Court. Her legal team has cited multiple grounds for relief, with pregnancy being a prominent factor in the application.
Legal Arguments Presented in Bail Plea
The accused's lawyer, Baba Sayyed, confirmed to TOI on Saturday that the anticipatory bail application was submitted in the court of Nashik Road Sessions Judge Kedar Joshi. The court is scheduled to hear the plea on Monday.
Sayyed, along with co-counsel Rahul Kasliwal who filed the application, outlined several key arguments:
- Not the main accused: The defense contends she is not the primary perpetrator in the case.
- Limited punishment scope: The charges related to hurting religious sentiments carry a maximum sentence of three years.
- Pregnancy status: Her current pregnancy condition is presented as a humanitarian consideration.
- Delayed complaint: The defense argues there has been significant delay in filing the complaint against the accused.
Related Cases: Two Accused Remanded to Police Custody
In a parallel development, the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate R C Narwadiya on Saturday remanded two other accused individuals to police custody until April 20. These two are named in four out of the total nine cases involving alleged sexual harassment and religious conversion attempts at the TCS Nashik office.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is investigating all nine cases, arrested these two individuals in the third of the four cases against them. The court granted the police two-day custody for further investigation.
Additional Charges and Investigation Details
The SIT has added Section 78 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the accused, pertaining to following the victim through electronic communication despite clear disinterest. Assistant Director of Public Prosecution Kiran Bendbhar explained that the investigation centers on allegations of persistent stalking and sexual harassment of women colleagues despite their refusals, leading to this additional charge.
Assistant Public Prosecutor Aniket Avhad emphasized the importance of technical evidence, stating: "During the arrest and investigations, the police seized high-end cellphones from both suspects. A thorough technical analysis of these devices is critical to establish the sequence of events and uncover further evidence. We require their physical custody to obtain passwords for phones, applications, and social media sites to verify victim statements."
Defense Challenges Custody Request
Defense counsel Baba Sayyed, who also represents these two accused, contested the SIT's request for physical custody. He argued: "We informed the court that police have ethical hackers and machinery capable of cracking codes and passwords for mobile phones, applications, and social media websites without requiring physical custody."
The case continues to unfold as multiple legal proceedings advance simultaneously, with the anticipatory bail hearing scheduled for Monday and police custody investigations ongoing until April 20.
