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Nida Khan, accused in Nashik TCS case, claims she's pregnant in anticipatory bail plea
Nida Khan has been named in an FIR lodged at the Devlali Police Station on March 26 pertaining to religious harassment.
Amid allegations of being the ‘mastermind’ in the Nashik IT firm sexual abuse scandal, TCS employee Nida Khan is set to seek anticipatory bail before the sessions court, her lawyer Baba Sayyed has said.
“It’ll be done in a couple of days,” Sayyed told HT earlier. Khan's name was riled in controversy in the alleged sexual abuse and religious coercion scandal at a BPO linked to TCS in Nashik. The case came to fore after an FIR was filed by Nashik police based on a 23-year-old BPO employee’s complaint accusing her senior colleague Danish Shaikh of sexual harassment and conducting sexual relations under the false pretext of marriage.
The case was lodged under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) including section 69 (sexual intercourse obtained through false promise to marry), 75 (sexual harassment), 299 (insulting religion or religious belief), and 3(5) (constructive or joint liability).
Of the nine FIRs filed, Khan has been named in one FIR lodged at the Devlali Police Station on March 26 pertaining to religious harassment.
Around eight people were reportedly arrested in the case, while the police alleged mastermind, ‘HR head’ Khan, was absconding. However, her family has claimed that Khan is pregnant and at her home, contrary to police allegations of her being on the run.
According to the police, the HR Manager Nida Khan is the alleged 'mastermind' who tried to suppress the complaint and allegedly shield the accused, ANI reported.
During the investigation, Police officials recovered approximately 78 'suspicious' call records, emails and chats exchanged between the accused. The police have found evidence of potential financial transactions too.
Family denies police allegations
Rejecting allegations of being the ‘mastermind’, Khan's family said she to her joined the BPO in December 2021, but not as a Human Resources employee. She worked as a telecaller and was not among the senior staff.
“My daughter has not done any of these things. She simply went to work every day and got into trouble just for saying hello and goodbye to people,” Nida’s father told HT.
Her brother also said that her photograph was taken from Instagram and has gone viral on social media with ‘HR head’ of the TCS-linked BPO's Nashik unit superimposed on it. The same photograph is being run on the social media as well, Khan's brother said.
A proud father now regrets
Once proud of her daughter for securing a job in a multinational company, says he now regrets encouraging her to work. “It would have been better if she had not worked at all. Such terrible things are being said about her, none of which are true. We have been so upset. Her mother has taken ill,” said the father who runs a timber business in the city.
Her uncle further alleged that she is ‘not running from anything’ And I do want to say that so far no police officer has shown up at our door asking for her whereabouts,” Khan’s maternal uncle said.
Tata orders internal probe
Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran has ordered an internal investigation too, calling such allegations "gravely concerning and anguishing."
In a statement, Chandrasekaran said the matter is being treated with the "utmost seriousness", and action has already been initiated against the accused employees. He added that the company is extending full cooperation to the ongoing investigations.
"The Tata Group maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of coercion or misconduct by its employees," the statement said, adding that a thorough probe is underway to establish facts and identify all individuals responsible.
