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Court denies interim relief to Nida Khan in TCS Nashik case
Following the court’s refusal to grant interim protection, Bandbhar said the police are now free to arrest Khan.
A Nashik court on Monday refused to grant interim anticipatory bail to 26-year-old Nida Khan, one of the eight employees from the Tata Consultancy Services-linked BPO accused in a case of alleged sexual abuse, harassment and religious coercion at the workplace.
Kiran Bandbhar, public prosecutor on behalf of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case, said that the court of additional sessions judge K G Joshi has issued notices to the investigating officer (IO) and the complainant’s counsel Milind Kurkute, seeking written submissions by April 27, when the anticipatory bail plea will be heard.
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“The IO and Kurkute should place their stand before the court about Nida’s anticipatory bail application,” said Bandbhar. “The case is sensitive, and the complainant has suffered physical and mental trauma.”
During the hearing Kurkute urged the court not to grant Khan interim relief without considering their submissions, emphasising that the complainant wished to file a written objection to the interim plea. Following the court’s refusal to grant interim protection, Bandbhar said the police are now free to arrest Khan.
Khan’s lawyers — Rahul Kasliwal and Baba Sayyed — were seeking her interim protection from arrest until the court decides on her anticipatory bail application, which was filed on Saturday.
The defence argued for interim relief on health grounds, stating that Khan is pregnant. He added that Khan was not absconding.
Sayyed told the court that Khan would not surrender ahead of the next hearing scheduled for April 27. However, the court chose not to issue an interim order and instead directed Nashik police and the complainant to file their formal responses to her application.
The SIT has so far arrested seven employees of the BPO, including a female operations manager, by registering nine FIRs over allegations of exploitation, attempt of forceful conversion, molestation and mental harassment of female employees at the centre.
