Nashik BPO sexual harassment case: 7 accused employees sacked; HR manager under scrutiny

A Nashik BPO firm terminated seven employees after they were arrested for alleged rape and harassment, while an HR manager is under investigation.

The management of a business process outsourcing (BPO) firm in Nashik has terminated seven of the eight employees named in FIRs registered for alleged rape, sexual harassment and hurting religious sentiments, a company official said on Saturday.

As many as nine junior employees had lodged complaints against the seven terminated seniors in separate FIRs. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)

An eighth accused—the firm’s HR manager, who handled human resources at the Nashik office—is also “under the radar” of the management. She is currently in police remand.

Confirming the developments, a senior functionary of the company’s Nashik office requesting anonymity, said that the seven employees were terminated after their arrest on April 7.

Of the seven, six are in magisterial custody, while one is allegedly on the run.

Two of those terminated held senior positions—one was a “team lead” and the other a dialler manager—while the remaining five were junior staffers across different teams.

“The HR manager is also under the radar of the management following allegations that she failed to intervene after one of the aggrieved staff emailed her on the issue. The company is verifying whether the accusations against her are true or not,” the company executive said, adding that the complainant had not marked copies of the email to any senior officials in the Nashik office.

No complaints raised with ICC

The company official maintained that the Nashik unit has a functional Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act to address sexual harassment complaints.

“We cross-checked with the panel after the incident came to light. None of the aggrieved staff had raised the issue with the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC),” the official said.

According to him, no case of sexual harassment involving women employees had been reported at the Nashik office since it began operations in 2017. The BPO employs around 150 people and has a large client base.

“We are in constant touch with the top brass of the city police, including the police commissioner Sandeep Karnik, rendering all help in the case,” the official added.

As many as nine junior employees had lodged complaints against the seven terminated seniors in separate FIRs, accusing them of sexual abuse, harassment and hurting religious sentiments.

Separately, one of the victims has also filed a complaint against the HR manager, alleging that she failed to act on an email flagging the offences.

Police have registered eight FIRs — one at Devlali police station in Nashik and seven at Mumbai Naka police station — in phases between March 26 and April 3.

Meanwhile, Nashik district collector Ayush Prasad has ordered a probe into the firm’s compliance with the POSH Act. Authorities will examine the functioning of the ICC, including how grievances were recorded and whether due diligence was maintained.

Six cops worked undercover at BPO for 40 days

Six women police personnel from Nashik city police worked undercover at the BPO office for around 40 days starting mid-February to monitor the conduct of the accused, said police sources.

“The city police had received a tip-off about the notorious acts of six employees in early February this year. A plan was laid out under the guidance of the police commissioner, Sandeep Karnik, to verify the tip-offs that we had received,” a senior police official requesting anonymity said.

Assistant commissioner of police and head of the SIT probing the case, Sandeep Mitke, said, “It was a well-laid plan by the police that yielded results.”

“These female police personnel used to track whether the accused were engaging in misconduct during meetings or at workstations of their female colleagues,” the officer said.

Senior officers remained in daily contact with the undercover personnel, taking feedback after working hours and reporting it to the police commissioner.

“The feedback from the women police personnel corroborated the negative tip-offs that we had received. On March 26, one of the victims who was allegedly raped by one of the six suspects came forward to register the first complaint at Devlali police station,” the official said.