TCS sexual harassment-religious coercion case: Accused Nida Khan sent to police custody till May 11

A Nashik court on Friday remanded Nida Khan, an accused in the sexual harassment and religious coercion case at the Tata Consultancy Services TCS unit here, in police custody till May 11. The prosecution sought her custody to investigate the alleged plan to send the victim abroad and to probe potential links with other conversion rackets.

A Nashik court on Friday remanded Nida Khan, an accused in the sexual harassment and religious coercion case at the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) unit here, in police custody till May 11. Terming it a serious offence, the police informed the court that there were attempts of forced religious conversion through threats and fear. The prosecution sought her custody to investigate the alleged plan to send the victim abroad and to probe potential links with other conversion rackets. Khan, also a TCS employee, was arrested on Thursday in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar after being on the run since the case came to light. She was produced before the Additional Sessions Judge K G Joshi on Friday, with the police seeking a seven-day custody for a thorough investigation into the matter. Accepting the police's plea, the court remanded her in police custody till May 11. The police, represented by prosecutor A S Misar, told the court that the victim, a colleague of Khan at the IT major's unit here, was provided a burqa and trained to offer namaz. A probe also revealed that Khan had visited the victim's house and engaged in activities related to namaz and burqa, the prosecution said. Misar submitted that a detailed probe is being conducted into the links from Instagram and YouTube, and reels that were repeatedly sent to the victim's phone. The prosecutor further stated that according to the investigation, the victim's name was to be changed to Haniya, and she was to be sent to Malaysia. Certain links with an alleged conversion racket in Malegaon have also surfaced in the probe, and other aspects such as the money trail and funding are being looked into, he said. According to the prosecution, Khan had lived in multiple places in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar while on the run, and the police have to probe the persons who provided her shelter. On May 2, the court denied anticipatory bail to Khan, citing a ''systematic plan'' to brainwash the victim with ''organised attempts''. The court had noted at the time that ''the magnitude of the offense is truly multi-dimensional and multi-layered'' and the custodial interrogation was required to go to the ''root of the case''. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Nashik police is probing nine cases of molestation and harassment at the IT major's Nashik unit. It had arrested eight persons, including a female operations manager, by registering nine FIRs after allegations of exploitation, attempt of forceful conversion, hurting religious sentiments, molestation and mental harassment of female employees at the TCS unit came to light. TCS has clarified that it has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and coercion of any form for a long time, and the employees allegedly involved in sexual harassment at the Nashik office have been suspended.