A woman at the centre of the TCS Nashik sexual harassment and conversion case told investigators she was repeatedly asked to watch videos of a Pakistani preacher and other religious speakers to allegedly influence her faith.
The 23-year-old complainant alleged that the accused introduced her to Islamic teachings through videos of Pakistani cleric Tariq Jamil and speeches by controversial preacher Zakir Naik, PTI reported.
The allegations are detailed in a chargesheet filed by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which was constituted by the Maharashtra government after multiple women employees of a Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)-associated BPO unit in Nashik accused co-workers of sexual exploitation, religious coercion, molestation and mental harassment.
ALSO READ | Inside the TCS Nashik case: A deep dive into allegations, arrests and the unanswered questions
‘Stop listening to Bhagwan songs’
The chargesheet pertains to a case registered at Deolali Camp police station against Danish Shaikh, Tausif Attar and Nida Khan. The complainant alleged that Shaikh, who is married, sexually exploited her on the promise of marriage while encouraging her to move away from Hindu religious practices.
{{/usCountry}}The chargesheet pertains to a case registered at Deolali Camp police station against Danish Shaikh, Tausif Attar and Nida Khan. The complainant alleged that Shaikh, who is married, sexually exploited her on the promise of marriage while encouraging her to move away from Hindu religious practices.
{{/usCountry}}Shaikh allegedly told her, “Don't be afraid, trust me, Allah is with us. Stop listening to Bhagwan songs and going to the temple; your stress will decrease,” PTI reported, citing the chargesheet. He also allegedly advised her to recite Tasbeeh and seek forgiveness through Islamic prayers, claiming it would ease her anxiety.
The complainant told investigators that Shaikh asked co-accused Tausif Attar and Nida Khan to provide her with information about Islam. She alleged that Attar instructed her to search for videos of Zakir Naik and Pakistani Islamic scholar Dr Israr Ahmed on YouTube and listen to their speeches.
‘I slowly started believing’
The chargesheet says that she was also introduced to Islamic concepts including Jannah (heaven), Jahannum (hell), Qurbani (sacrifice), Bakri Eid and Zamzam water. “I was convinced that if I accepted the Islamic religion, my mental stress would decrease. I slowly started believing in those things,” the complainant said in her statement.
The chargesheet also alleges that Shaikh had access to details of the woman's bank accounts and UPI PIN and was aware of the money in her accounts.
ALSO READ | SIT files second chargesheet in Nashik TCS case
SIT probe widens, more accused named
Apart from the three accused, the chargesheet names AIMIM corporator Mateen Patel from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, alleging that he sheltered Nida Khan while she was absconding despite knowing that her anticipatory bail plea had been rejected.
The SIT's first chargesheet, filed in May, includes statements from 106 witnesses, including the complainant, her mother, TCS employees, members of the company's POSH committee and investigating officers.
The probe later expanded, with the SIT filing a second set of chargesheets linked to eight FIRs registered at Mumbai Naka police station. The accused across the nine cases include Danish Shaikh, Tausif Attar, Nida Khan, Raza Memon, Shahrukh Qureshi, Shafi Sheikh, Asif Aftab Ansari and Ashwini Ashok Chainani. All are currently in judicial custody.
Nine employees have lodged separate complaints in the case.
Allegations against Nida Khan
Nida Khan has been specifically accused of targeting employees through a WhatsApp group, pressuring them to pray and consume non-vegetarian food, and advising women employees to dress and behave in accordance with Islamic traditions, according to the FIR.
A Nashik court recently deferred the hearing on the bail applications of Nida Khan, Danish Shaikh and Tausif Attar to June 12. Police said the investigation remains ongoing.
What TCS said
TCS has suspended employees accused in the case. In a statement issued on April 17, the company CEO K Krithivasan said, “TCS holds itself to the highest standards of employee welfare and institutional conduct. We remain fully committed to the safety, dignity, and wellbeing of every employee...we have a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of coercion or misconduct."
“We are focused on supporting our employees and ensuring a safe and respectful workplace across all our locations. We continue to extend full cooperation to the law enforcement agencies so that the matter is investigated thoroughly, transparently and brought to a rightful conclusion.,” he added.