Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis on Friday made his first comment on the alleged sexual harassment and forced religious conversion at a Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) unit in Nashik, warning that if the incident was found to be an act of “corporate jihad”, its origin would be identified.
He said the incident at TCS in Nashik was “very serious”. He appreciated that TCS took note of the matter and mentioned that the head of the company also condemned the incident and is cooperating with the police. He added that the authorities are thoroughly investigating the matter to get to the root cause.
“The incident that happened at Nashik TCS is a very serious matter. I would like to thank TCS for taking cognizance of the matter. The TCS boss has condemned it and they are cooperating with the police. We are trying to get to the root of the incident. We are investigating the whole matter. If it turns out to be a corporate jihad, we will find its roots,” Fadnavis told ANI.
Case TCS Nashik
An investigation into alleged forcible religious conversion and sexual harassment at an IT company’s Nashik branch suggests that the seven accused men were operating as an organized group targeting female employees, a senior police officer said.
The police have registered nine cases related to the allegation. So far, seven men and one woman, a human resources manager, have been arrested, the other accused woman remains on the run.
According to PTI, Nashik Commissioner of Police Sandeep Karnik said, “Nine FIRs have been registered in Nashik related to allegations of attempted religious conversion, sexual harassment and religious harassment at the workplace. A total of nine accused, including seven men and two women, held senior positions such as team leaders and allegedly misused their roles to harass co-workers.”
“Police are conducting a thorough investigation and have contacted agencies like SID, ATS and NIA to probe for any possible wider links. Initially the first complainant was hesitant, but after receiving support and guidance from the police, more victims came forward, leading to more FIRs being registered,” he added.
A local court on Thursday sent the two accused to police custody until April 18 in connection with this case.
Accused Raza Rafiq Memon (35) and Shafi Bikhan Sheikh (36) were re-arrested on Wednesday after being remanded in judicial custody in a related matter. On Thursday, they were brought to court, which ordered a two-day police custody.
They were charged under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including provisions relating to outraging the modesty of a woman, sexual harassment and using words or actions intended to offend a woman’s dignity.
TCS said on Sunday that it has long followed a zero-tolerance policy against any form of harassment or coercion and that the employees accused in the Nashik sexual harassment case have been suspended.
The following day, Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran described the complaints and allegations from TCS’s Nashik office as “seriously disturbing and distressing”, adding that a detailed investigation was underway under chief operating officer Arathi Subramanian to establish the facts and hold those responsible accountable.
Meanwhile, the National Commission for Women has formed a commission of inquiry to investigate the allegations.
