The special investigation team (SIT) probing the alleged sexual exploitation and religious coercion case linked to a Nashik-based business process outsourcing (BPO) associated with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on Monday opposed the anticipatory bail plea of absconding accused Nida Khan, telling a Nashik court that her custodial interrogation was necessary to investigate alleged religious conversion links, overseas connections and financial transactions tied to the case.
During an in-camera hearing before additional sessions judge KG Joshi, special public prosecutor Ajay Misar argued that investigators had gathered “crucial leads” indicating Khan’s alleged involvement in organised religious conversion activities. The court reserved its order on the pre-arrest bail plea and is expected to pronounce it on May 2. No interim protection from arrest was granted to Khan.
“We appealed to the court not to grant anticipatory bail as her custodial interrogation is essential to ascertain important aspects of the case, including the money trail and possible overseas links,” Misar told reporters after the hearing.
The case relates to nine FIRs registered by the Nashik city police between March 26 and April 3 against eight senior employees of the BPO after nine workers accused them of sexual exploitation, workplace harassment and religious coercion.
In one of the complaints lodged at Devlali Police Station, a woman accused co-worker Danish Shaikh of sexually exploiting her on the false promise of marriage, while accusing Khan of hurting her religious sentiments and another accused, Tausif Attar, of sexual harassment. During the probe, police also invoked provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act after the complainant stated that she belonged to a scheduled caste community.
{{/usCountry}}In one of the complaints lodged at Devlali Police Station, a woman accused co-worker Danish Shaikh of sexually exploiting her on the false promise of marriage, while accusing Khan of hurting her religious sentiments and another accused, Tausif Attar, of sexual harassment. During the probe, police also invoked provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act after the complainant stated that she belonged to a scheduled caste community.
{{/usCountry}}The SIT has so far arrested seven accused, while Khan remains untraceable.
According to the prosecution, investigators found that Khan, along with Shaikh and Attar, was allegedly in touch with groups in Malegaon that handled documentation related to religious conversions.
Misar told the court that the complainant alleged Khan had changed her name to “Haniya” and promised to help her secure employment in Malaysia through her contacts. The prosecution claimed that Khan repeatedly pressured the complainant to convert her religion and warned that refusal would bring misfortune upon her family.
The SIT alleged that Khan trained the complainant in offering namaz and wearing a hijab at her residence, besides allegedly installing Islamic applications on the complainant’s mobile phone and frequently sharing religious content through social media platforms.
Advocate Milind Kurkute, appearing for the complainant, opposed the anticipatory bail plea, arguing that the allegations of religious coercion and exploitation were grave in nature.
The defence, however, argued that no specific penal provision under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) criminalises religious conversion. Defence counsels Rahul Kasliwal and Baba Sayeed contended that Maharashtra does not currently have a dedicated anti-conversion law and claimed that provisions of the SC/ST Act were wrongly invoked in the case.