TCS Nashik sexual harassment case: Court remands 2 accused, NCW forms fact-finding panel
Two TCS employees, Raza Rafiq Memon and Shafi Bikhan Sheikh, have been remanded to police custody until April 18.
Two TCS employees, Raza Rafiq Memon and Shafi Bikhan Sheikh, have been remanded to police custody until April 18.
Two TCS employees, Raza Rafiq Memon and Shafi Bikhan Sheikh, have been remanded to police custody until April 18.
A local court on Thursday remanded two accused in a case involving alleged sexual harassment and forcible religious conversion at a Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) unit in Nashik to police custody till April 18.
The accused, Raza Rafiq Memon (35) and Shafi Bikhan Sheikh (36), were arrested again on Wednesday after earlier being in judicial custody in a related case. They were produced before the court on Thursday, which granted two-day police custody.
They have been booked under sections 74 (outraging a woman’s modesty), 75 (sexual harassment), and 79 (insulting the modesty of a woman through words, gestures, or acts) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
So far, seven employees — six men and a woman HR manager — from the Nashik TCS unit have been arrested in nine cases.
Police earlier formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe complaints by eight women employees. The complainants alleged mental and sexual harassment by senior colleagues, inaction by the HR department, and attempts at forced religious conversion that hurt their sentiments.
TCS has said it follows a zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and coercion, and that the employees accused in the case have been suspended. Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran termed the allegations “gravely concerning and anguishing,” adding that a detailed internal probe is underway under Chief Operating Officer Arathi Subramanian.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has also taken suo motu cognisance of the case and formed a fact-finding committee. The panel will visit the Nashik facility on April 18 to conduct an on-the-spot inquiry, examine the circumstances, and assess the response of authorities.
The committee comprises retired Bombay High Court Justice Sadhna Jadhav, former Haryana DGP B K Sinha, Supreme Court advocate Monika Arora, and NCW Senior Coordinator Lilabati. It will interact with victims, police, company officials, and other stakeholders, identify any lapses, and recommend action and preventive measures. The panel has been asked to submit its report within 10 working days.
Meanwhile, city police warned media outlets and social media users against revealing the identity of the victims, stating that doing so is a punishable offence and causes distress to survivors and their families.
(With PTI inputs)