No relief has been provided to Nida Khan, the absconding accused in the alleged sexual harassment and forcible religious conversion at the Nashik unit of the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), as a Nashik court rejected her anticipatory bail plea on Saturday. The court's ruling came after the prosecution argued that Khan’s custodial interrogation was essential, due to the gravity of the charges against her.
Notably, this is the second time that Khan's bail plea has been turned down.
Representative image
Khan sought pre-arrest bail due to pregnancy
Public prosecutor Ajay Misar told the media that the court found the allegations serious enough to warrant custodial questioning. He told reporters,” The offence is a grave one, and Khan is one of the key accused. Her custodial interrogation is essential,” adding that the detailed order will be provided shortly.
Notably, Khan had sought relief from arrest citing her pregnancy, but the court trashed her plea.
Khan faces allegations of religious coercion, harassment
As mentioned in the First Information Report (FIR), Khan allegedly advised her female subordinates to dress and behave in accordance with Islamic traditions, raising concerns of coercion within workplaces.
The case forms part of a broader probe into multiple allegations of sexual harassment involving employees at the TCS Nashik unit. The investigating police personnel are examining claims that some women were subjected to inappropriate conduct and undue pressure.
Nine cases being investigated by SIT
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) had earlier been constituted by the Nashik police earlier, which is currently probing nine separate cases linked to the incident. The police said that so far, eight persons, including a female operations manager have been arrested in connection with the registered FIRs.
Meanwhile, Khan remains on the run, and the cops are persevering in efforts to hunt her down across different parts of Maharashtra. TCS had suspended her, after her role in the misconduct came to the fore.
Accused Nida Khan
Custody of other accused extended till this date
The court, in another significant ruling, has extended the police custody of four other accused actively involved in the misconduct. The accused, identified as Raza Rafiq Memon, Tausif Bilal Attar, Danish Ejaz Sheikh and Shahrukh Husain Shaukat Qureshim will remain in police custody till May 5.
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