TCS Forced Conversion Case: Nashik Court Sends Accused Nida Khan To Judicial Custody Till May 24
A Nashik court granted bail to Nida Khan in the TCS-linked BPO case involving allegations of religious conversion and sexual harassment
A Nashik court on Monday remanded Nida Khan, an accused in the alleged sexual harassment and forced religious conversion case linked to Tata Consultancy Services’ Nashik unit, to judicial custody till May 24.
Khan was produced before the court of Additional Sessions Judge K.G. Joshi after the expiry of her police custody. Since the police did not seek further custodial interrogation, the court remanded her to judicial custody. She has been lodged in Nashik Road Central Jail.
Khan was arrested on May 7 from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar after allegedly remaining absconding since the matter surfaced following complaints by women employees at the TCS Nashik office.
The case pertains to allegations of exploitation, attempted forced conversion to Islam, molestation, hurting religious sentiments and mental harassment made by complainants working at the IT company’s Nashik unit.
According to police, Khan has been booked under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including offences relating to sexual harassment and defamation. She has also been charged under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act after the complainant alleged that attempts were made to forcibly convert her despite the accused being aware that she belonged to a Scheduled Caste community.
The matter is currently being investigated by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by Nashik police. Multiple FIRs have been registered in connection with allegations emerging from the TCS office, and several persons, including company officials, have already been arrested in the case.
Khan had earlier approached the sessions court seeking anticipatory bail, claiming innocence and citing her pregnancy. In her plea, she had submitted that she was three months pregnant and sought protection from arrest. Earlier this month, the Court had rejected Khan’s anticipatory bail application, making strong observations on the nature of the allegations against the accused persons.
On April 20, the Court had refused to grant interim protection from arrest to accused Nida Ejaz Khan. The anticipatory bail application, filed on April 18 through Advocates Baba Sayyad and Rahul Kasliwal, also sought interim relief pending final adjudication. However, the Court had declined to grant any such protection.
In a related news, on April 22, the Court had denied anticipatory bail to Danish Shaikh noting serious allegations affecting social harmony and observing that the investigation was at a nascent stage under SIT scrutiny
Case Title: Nida Ejaz Khan v. State of Maharashtra & Anr.