TCS-linked BPO case: Nida Khan moves court seeking bail

Khan filed the application before the court of additional sessions judge KG Joshi. Her counsel, advocate Baba Sayyed, said the court is likely to hear the plea on May 25. Khan is currently lodged in judicial custody.

Nashik: Nida Khan, one of the eight accused in the alleged sexual exploitation and religious coercion case linked to a Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)-associated business process outsourcing (BPO) in Nashik, on Wednesday moved a local court seeking bail.

Nashik [Maharashtra], May 11 (ANI): The accused Nida Khan appears before the Nashik Road Court in connection with the ongoing Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) case, in Nashik on Monday. The court has remanded a fourteen-day judicial custody. (ANI Video Grab) (ANI Video Grab)

Khan filed the application before the court of additional sessions judge KG Joshi. Her counsel, advocate Baba Sayyed, said the court is likely to hear the plea on May 25. Khan is currently lodged in judicial custody.

Earlier this month, the same court had rejected Khan’s anticipatory bail plea.

Speaking to reporters, Sayyed said the defence had highlighted Khan’s pregnancy while seeking relief from the court. “We have brought to the court’s notice that she is pregnant. Moreover, there is no specific provision under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) that criminalises religious conversion. Maharashtra also does not currently have a separate anti-conversion law,” he said.

The special investigation team (SIT) of the Nashik city police had arrested Khan from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on May 7 after she allegedly remained absconding for 42 days. An FIR had been registered against her at the Devlali police station on March 26.

According to the police, a female colleague had accused Khan of hurting her religious sentiments and attempting to influence her religious beliefs.

During the investigation, the SIT allegedly found that Khan had shared Islamic religious material, including books and videos, with the complainant. Investigators are also probing Khan’s alleged links in Malaysia, as she had reportedly assured the complainant of helping her secure a job there.

Police are examining Khan’s alleged association with certain individuals in Malegaon who are reportedly involved in preparing religious documentation. The probe into the wider network and activities linked to the case is ongoing.