Former MP and Maharashtra All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Imtiaz Jaleel has been named in a case involving alleged sexual and religious harassment of employees at a Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)-linked business process outsourcing (BPO) in Nashik for allegedly providing shelter to accused Nida Khan while she was absconding, a police officer said on Friday.
Jaleel and five others were added to an FIR (first information report) registered on March 26 at Deolali Camp Police Station against three BPO employees — Khan, Danish Shaikh and Tausif Attar — following a complaint by a woman employee. The complainant had accused the trio of sexually exploiting her and attempting to convert her religion.
Five other persons were booked in separate FIRs registered at Mumbai Naka Police Station in the first week of April.
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Arrests and investigation
Police arrested seven accused, including Raza Rafiq Memon, Shahrukh Qureshi, Shafi Sheikh, Asif Aftab Ansari and Ashwini Chainani, while Khan remained absconding for 42 days before being arrested in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in May following a tip-off.
Police officials said Jaleel and the five others were named in the FIR for allegedly providing shelter to Khan during her absconding period. Jaleel’s statement was also recorded in connection with the case.
{{/usCountry}}Police officials said Jaleel and the five others were named in the FIR for allegedly providing shelter to Khan during her absconding period. Jaleel’s statement was also recorded in connection with the case.
{{/usCountry}}According to police sources, the six names were added to the FIR around three months ago and subsequently included in a supplementary chargesheet filed before the court on October 26. The five others named in the chargesheet are from Sambhajinagar and Nashik.
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Jaleel’s response
Jaleel did not respond to calls seeking his comment. However, his lawyer, advocate Abhaysinh Bhosale, confirmed that an FIR had been registered against him over the allegation of providing shelter to Khan but denied the charge.
“My client visited Nashik on September 11 to record his statement before the police. He denied providing shelter to Nida Khan and told the police that he had only extended legal assistance after her parents approached him,” Bhosale said.
He added that police had also collected Jaleel’s voice samples and that his client would cooperate with the investigation.
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Related developments and case status
In August, police arrested Mateen Patel, an AIMIM corporator from Sambhajinagar, for allegedly arranging rented accommodation for Khan in the city. He is currently out on bail. Police are probing whether Patel had arranged the accommodation at Jaleel’s behest.
In the Nashik BPO case, nine employees had filed complaints against eight colleagues. Of the accused, Khan and Chainani are out on bail, while the remaining six male accused continue to be in judicial custody in connection with multiple cases.