TCS Nashik news: Employees at Tata Consultancy Services’ (TCS) BPO unit in Nashik have alleged sexual exploitation and attempts to force religious conversion, prompting an SIT probe into the matter. As many as eight women employees came forward with complaints of sexual harassment and forced religious conversions at the TCS BPO unit in Nashik, leading to major outrage across the country.
Police have formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and arrested seven people so far, including a senior HR manager, who also part of the company’s POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) Internal Committee. According to the victims, they were subjected to mental and sexual harassment by their senior colleagues and their complaints were allegedly ignored.
Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan alleged that the victims were forced to offer namaz, eat beef, and that attempts had been made to convert them. He further claimed that the women might have been victims of a racket involved in luring girls with a promise of jobs and later blackmailing them with their photographs and videos.
IT major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on Sunday said it has a “long-standing zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and coercion of any form”, confirming that employees accused in a sexual harassment case at its Nashik office have been suspended.
TCS Nashik controversy
Police said that eight women employees alleged that senior colleagues at the TCS Nashik office sexually and mentally harassed them over a period of time. The complainants also alleged that they were pressured for religious conversion and to follow certain practices. Investigators said the HR department was accused of ignoring repeated complaints raised by the employees.A wider investigation into the alleged sexual harassment and coercion at a TCS BPO unit in Nashik led to multiple arrests and filing of as many as nine FIRs. The senior HR official who has been arrested has been accused of failing to respond to complaints despite being part of the internal POSH mechanism.
78 emails, chats under scanner
According to a report in Times of India, public prosecutor Kiran Bendbhar informed the court that a senior manager at the Nashik office had repeatedly emailed the AGM about complaints against two employees accused of sexual harassment. Investigators have seized these emails, along with 78 other emails and a chat recovered from the AGM’s devices, which are now being examined in her presence.Police are also reviewing bank records to check for any financial links to the case. In addition, investigators are analysing internal emails, call records, chats, CCTV footage, and other digital evidence to find out whether the complaints were ignored, suppressed, or mishandled.
Undercover operation exposed abuse, religious conversions
A tip-off about a Hindu woman observing Ramzan fasts at TCS Nashik office triggered an investigation into the matter. At the TCS Nashik office, undercover police posed as housekeeping staff for weeks and observed activities inside the BPO unit as part of their investigation. The covert operation, launched after a February complaint, uncovered alleged misconduct including sexual harassment, coercion, and attempts to influence religious practices.According to Nashik City Police, a complaint was raised in February that a Hindu woman was following Islamic practices under workplace influence. When cops contacted their family, they told they had stopped her from going to work after they noticed lifestyle changes, mostly related to faith and religion.
Police deployed constables — including women officers — as housekeeping staff inside the unit for nearly two weeks. Based on findings, the first FIR was registered at Deolali police station in March.
The complainant alleged that her colleague, Danish Shaikh, raped her after hiding his marriage and entering into a relationship with her on the promise of marriage. Police also added charges related to hurting religious sentiments, claiming he influenced her religious practices.
Following this, Danish Shaikh and Tousif Attar were arrested. Investigators said a scan of Attar’s phone revealed images of another Hindu employee dressed in Muslim attire, which prompted further questioning and led to additional complaints.