On Monday, a sessions court in Nashik granted bail to Nida Khan and Tausif Attar, who stand accused in the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Nashik BPO sexual harassment and religious coercion case, formally cited as Nida Khan & Ors v. State of Maharashtra. This development follows their involvement in an FIR lodged at the Deolali police station in Nashik, Maharashtra. However, the court dismissed the bail plea of Danish Shaikh, a co-accused in the same case.
The legal proceedings were overseen by Additional Sessions Judge Kedar Gurunath Joshi. Although Khan and Attar have been granted bail, the pending allegations against them in separate FIRs lodged at the Mumbai Naka police station remain unresolved. Since Khan is implicated solely in the Deolali FIR, her release from custody is imminent. A comprehensive order detailing the court’s reasoning is expected soon.
The case has drawn significant attention, centered around allegations that several individuals, including employees at TCS, engaged in sexual harassment and attempted religious conversion of female colleagues over a period of four years. A total of eight individuals, comprising six men and two women, one of whom is a Pune-based executive, have been apprehended in connection to these allegations.
The accusations were initially uncovered through a sting operation conducted by police officers posing as housekeeping staff at TCS. This clandestine investigation resulted in the registration of nine First Information Reports (FIRs) under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, addressing offenses such as sexual harassment, religious insult, and joint liability.
Nida Khan was detained on May 7, following the rejection of her anticipatory bail plea by a sessions judge on May 2. Subsequently, she was placed in judicial custody on May 11 and applied for bail on May 13. Conversely, Danish Shaikh, one of the earliest accused in both FIRs, has been denied interim relief and remains incarcerated at Nashik Central Jail.
More Read
In a decision issued on July 6, the court refused Shaikh bail, citing the severity of the allegations against him. The judge’s order underscored the significant emotional distress faced by the victims and emphasized the need for Shaikh to remain in custody until key witnesses provided testimony during the trial.
Among the other accused, Pune-based executive Ashwini Chainani was denied bail due to her inaction as a member of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), where she failed to assist the complainant in filing a formal grievance. Additionally, five other accused, including Attar, were refused bail on May 15 in connection with the Mumbai Naka police station FIR. The court expressed concerns about the potential for witness intimidation and evidence tampering, given the accused’s influential positions.
