TCS Nashik conversion case: Accused Nida Khan gets bail 2 months after arrest

A Nashik court granted bail to Nida Khan and co-accused Tausif Attar in the TCS Nashik conversion case. The order came as the SIT continued its probe into the matter, while refusing similar relief to another accused Danish Shaikh.

In Short

• Nashik court grants bail to Nida Khan and co-accused Tausif Attar
• Another accused, Danish Shaikh, denied bail in TCS conversion case
• Nida Khan had sought relief, citing pregnancy and difficulties faced in jail

A court in Nashik on Monday granted bail to Nida Khan, one of the accused in the religious conversion and sexual harassment case linked to a Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)-associated BPO unit, nearly two months after her arrest. The court also granted bail to co-accused Tausif Attar, while rejecting the bail plea of another accused, Danish Shaikh.

Additional Sessions Judge KG Joshi of the Nashik Road Court passed the order in connection with a case registered at the Deolali Camp Police Station.

Khan, who worked as a telecaller at the TCS Nashik BPO unit, was arrested in May after evading arrest for over six weeks and has been in judicial custody since then. She had filed multiple bail applications, citing her pregnancy and the difficulties she was facing in jail. The court had earlier sought a report from the prison's medical officer and, while declining bail on previous occasions, had directed authorities to provide her necessary facilities during custody.

The case came to light earlier this year after multiple women employees at a TCS-linked BPO unit in Nashik alleged sexual harassment, sexual assault and coercion to convert to another religion by colleagues and supervisors. Following the complaints, Nashik police registered multiple FIRs between March and April and constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the allegations.

Investigators have alleged that Khan played a role in the religious conversion aspect of the case. According to police, one complainant accused Khan of hurting her religious sentiments and attempting to influence her religious beliefs.

During the investigation, the SIT allegedly found that Khan had shared Islamic religious material, including books and videos, with the complainant. Police are also examining her reported links in Malaysia after allegations that she had offered to help the complainant secure employment there.

While granting Khan bail, the Nashik court declined similar relief to Danish Shaikh. The prosecution had opposed the bail pleas of Shaikh, arguing that evidence collected during the probe pointed to sexual exploitation and efforts at religious coercion.

According to the prosecution, Shaikh allegedly gave the complainant an Islamic religious book and a burqa with the intention of influencing her religious beliefs. Prosecutors further argued that the accused attempted to convert the woman despite being aware that she belonged to a Scheduled Caste community.

The investigation has led to the arrest of multiple accused in recent months, with the SIT continuing to examine digital evidence, witness statements and other material collected during the probe.

TCS had earlier suspended employees named in the case and launched an internal inquiry, stating that it follows a zero-tolerance policy towards misconduct and is cooperating with law enforcement agencies.

- Ends
(with inputs from Pravin Thakare and PTI)