 Summary of this article
- Contrary to dominant media narratives there is no evidence of religious conversion or an organised nexus in the FIRs.
- Complaints centre on sexual harassment, religious offence, and managerial negligence within the TCS workplace.
- No formal complaints were filed with the Internal Complaints Committee, raising questions about implementation of the POSH Act and corporate accountability.
In the packed courtroom with police and cameras in Nashik, the case against Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) employees has already acquired a life far beyond its FIRs. While public discourse and television debates invoke claims of “conversion rackets” and “corporate jihad”, a reading of nine police complaints tells a different story—one centred on allegations of workplace sexual harassment and the hurting of religious sentiments, with no substantiated claim of organised religious conversion.
On April 16, Thursday, outside the courtroom of Additional District Judge R.C. Narwadiya, dozens of police personnel stood to ensure security as two of the accused in the case, employees of Tata Consultancy Services’ BPO unit in Nashik, were produced for remand. OB vans of national news channels were parked outside the court premises. Television reporters and local YouTube journalists waited with cameras to capture visuals of the accused, who were brought in with their faces covered.
As soon as Judge Narwadiya ordered an “in camera hearing”, everyone except the lawyers was asked to vacate the courtroom. Outside, a few relatives of the accused stood in the lobby, carrying a palpable sense of anxiety and uncertainty. Long before a court of law could determine guilt or innocence, the families of the accused appeared burdened by what they described as a media trial.
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“Nobody wants to know the truth. Our daughter Nida never worked as an HR in TCS. She was a process associate and never held any senior position. Nor did she abscond, but the media has exposed her identity with distorted facts. Inhone hamari bacchi ko kahin mooh dikhane ke layak nahi chhoda. Ab zindagi bhar woh ghar se bahar nahi nikal sakti (They have left our daughter in a state where she cannot show her face anywhere. Now she won’t be able to step out of the house for the rest of her life),” said Nida’s father, Javed Khan. TCS also has clarified with a statement that Nida Khan wasn't working as HR.
Nida Khan, one of the accused in the case involving alleged sexual harassment and hurting of religious sentiments, has been termed “absconding” by the Nashik Police since eight accused were arrested on April 4, 2026. According to an FIR, Nida Khan, along with Danish Shaikh and Tausif Attar, is accused of hurting the religious sentiments of a co-worker. The same FIR also includes allegations of sexual harassment at workplace against Shaikh and Attar.
Khan’s lawyer has filed an anticipatory bail application, seeking interim protection from arrest until the plea is decided. The district sessions court rejected the request for interim relief on April 20, and the matter is now listed for hearing on April 28. This effectively means she remains liable to be arrested.
According to her lawyer, Baba Sayyed, the allegations do not warrant arrest. “Supreme Court judgments state that if offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita carry punishment of less than seven years, arrest is not necessary,” he said.
Khan’s pregnancy has also been cited as a ground in her anticipatory bail application.
A total of nine FIRs were registered between March 26 and April 2, 2026, against eight accused—all Muslims—and Ashwini Chainani, who held a managerial position at TCS. Eight of them, including Chainani, have been arrested by the Nashik Police. The allegations include sexual harassment at workplace, preaching Islam as the “best religion”, insulting Hindu deities and beliefs, forcing complainants to consume non-vegetarian food, and managerial negligence—specifically against Chainani, who is accused of ignoring complaints and failing to comply with HR policies.
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