Nida Khan of TCS seeks bail in Nashik probe, cites pregnancy as ground for relief

Nida Khan, the human resources head of a business process outsourcing (BPO) unit linked to Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in Nashik, who is accused in cases involving alleged workplace harassment and forcible religious conversion, is pregnant and has approached a court seeking anticipatory bail, as per reports.

As per the defence counsel, Khan is currently in Mumbai and has reportedly filed an anticipatory bail application, which is likely to come up for hearing before a Nashik court.

The case came to light following complaints of alleged sexual harassment and coercion at the workplace. So far, eight persons have been arrested in connection with the matter, while Khan had remained untraceable until recently, officials said.

Those arrested have been identified as Danish Sheikh, Tausif Attar, Raza Memon, Shahrukh Qureshi, Shafi Sheikh, Asif Aftab Ansar and Shahrukh Sheikh, along with the operations head of the BPO unit.

Investigators said Khan is reportedly facing allegations of neglecting complaints raised by female employees. She is also accused of discouraging a woman from filing a complaint related to alleged harassment and conversion, reportedly stating that “these things happen” and appearing to side with the accused.

Reacting to the development, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons, described the allegations as “gravely concerning and distressing”. He said a detailed internal inquiry is being led by TCS Chief Operating Officer Arathi Subramanian to establish the facts and identify those responsible.

Police officials said the accused, including seven men and two women, allegedly misused their positions to harass colleagues, with indications that some of the acts may have been coordinated. While one female accused is linked to a single case of alleged religious harassment, Khan is specifically accused of dissuading a complainant from pursuing legal action.

Out of nine reported cases, one complaint has also been filed by a male employee alleging attempted religious conversion and workplace harassment.

Earlier, a special investigation team (SIT) was constituted after eight women employees reported mental and sexual harassment by senior colleagues, along with allegations that their grievances were ignored by the HR department.