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SIT grills Sambhajinagar corporator in TCS-linked BPO case
Senior SIT officials, led by assistant commissioner of police Sandip Mitke, interrogated Patel and Khan at the Nashik police commissionerate from Monday afternoon
The Nashik city police special investigation team (SIT) on Monday questioned two persons from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, including first-time AIMIM (All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen) corporator Mateen Patel, over their alleged links with Nida Khan, one of the eight accused arrested in the TCS-linked BPO case involving allegations of sexual exploitation and religious coercion.
The other person questioned was Hanif Khan, at whose house Nida had allegedly stayed with her family while she was absconding.
Senior SIT officials, led by assistant commissioner of police Sandip Mitke, interrogated Patel and Khan at the Nashik police commissionerate from Monday afternoon.
Patel’s advocate, Abhaysinh Bhosale, said that the duo was questioned about their connection with Nida and the circumstances under which accommodation was arranged for her.
“I accompanied both of them to Nashik and remained present during the questioning. Patel told the police that he did not know Nida personally. According to him, it was her father and aunt who approached him seeking accommodation for the family for three to four days. Patel arranged for them to stay at Hanif’s house. There was no rent agreement or financial transaction involved,” Bhosale said.
He said that Patel recorded a detailed statement before the SIT and has been asked to appear again on June 1 for further questioning.
“My client will fully cooperate with the SIT investigation,” Bhosale said.
Police sources said SIT has seized the mobile phones of Patel and Khan for forensic examination and the investigation into their alleged connection with Nida is continuing.
Nida is among the eight employees of the BPO against whom FIRs were registered at Devlali and Mumbai Naka police stations between March 26 and April 3. All eight accused have since been arrested.
The FIRs were lodged after nine employees of the BPO accused the group of sexual harassment and religious coercion at the workplace.
Nida had allegedly been absconding for 42 days after an FIR was registered against her at Devlali police station on March 26. She was arrested on May 7 from Hanif’s residence in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, where she had allegedly taken shelter along with her family.
Police said the accommodation was arranged on Patel’s request. In a joint covert operation, Nashik city police and its Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar counterpart traced the location and arrested her.
Taking note of Patel’s alleged role in arranging shelter for Khan, Nashik police subsequently named him as a co-accused in the FIR registered against Hanif at Devlali police station. His name also figures in the first chargesheet filed by the police on May 22.
Meanwhile, the court of additional sessions judge KG Joshi deferred the hearing on Hanif’s bail application scheduled for Monday.
Hanif’s counsel, Baba Sayyed, said the prosecution sought more time to file its written response. “The court will hear the matter on May 30,” Sayyed said.
