Police file first charge sheet in TCS-Nashik harassment case

Nashik police filed a 1,500-page charge sheet against four individuals, including a corporator, in connection with alleged sexual harassment, exploitation, and religious conversion at a TCS unit.

Nashik police on Friday filed the first charge sheet in connection with the alleged instances of sexual harassment, exploitation and religious conversion at the TCS unit here.

The Special Investigation Team of the police filed the 1,500-page charge sheet before the sessions court in a case registered at Deolali Camp police station against Danish Ejaz Sheikh, Tausif Bilal Attar, Nida Ejaz Khan and Matin Majid Patel.

Police have arrested a total of eight persons in nine FIRs.

Matin Patel, a corporator of the AIMIM, is accused of harbouring Nida Khan at his house in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar when she was absconding.

The charge sheet invoked Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 61(2) (criminal conspiracy), 64 (rape), 68 (sexual intercourse by a person in authority), 69 (sexual intercourse by employing deceitful means), 46 (abetment), 75 (sexual harassment), 318 (4) (cheating), 299 (hurting religious feelings), 249 (harbouring offender) along with provisions of the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Among other things, the charge sheet has cited What'sApp chat screenshots and seized email trails of the victim and the accused.

After eight complainants came forward to allege harassment at TCS's Nashik unit, a case was registered with Deolali Camp police and eight cases were registered at Mumbai Naka police station.

Software major TCS stated after these cases came to light that it has zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and coercion in any form, and the employees allegedly involved in sexual harassment at the Nashik office were suspended.