Fresh details have emerged in the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Nashik sexual harassment and conversion case, with a 23-year-old complainant alleging that she was repeatedly introduced to Islamic teachings and asked to watch videos of religious preachers in an effort to influence her faith.
The allegations are part of a chargesheet filed by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is investigating complaints of sexual exploitation, religious coercion, molestation and mental harassment made by multiple women employees at a TCS-associated BPO unit in Nashik.
Allegations of religious influence
According to the chargesheet cited by Hindustan Times, the complainant alleged that accused Danish Shaikh introduced her to videos of Pakistani cleric Tariq Jamil and speeches by controversial preacher Zakir Naik.
Also Read | From fake bookings to food safety, IRCTC cracks down on fraud, deactivates 3 crore suspicious accounts
The case registered at Deolali Camp police station names Danish Shaikh, Tausif Attar and Nida Khan as accused.
The complainant alleged that Shaikh, who is married, sexually exploited her on the promise of marriage while encouraging her to distance herself from Hindu religious practices.
According to the chargesheet, Shaikh allegedly told her, “Don't be afraid, trust me, Allah is with us. Stop listening to Bhagwan songs and going to the temple; your stress will decrease.”
He also allegedly advised her to recite Tasbeeh and seek forgiveness through Islamic prayers to reduce anxiety.
The woman allegedly claimed that Shaikh asked co-accused Tausif Attar and Nida Khan to provide her with information about Islam. She alleged that Attar instructed her to search for videos of Zakir Naik and Pakistani Islamic scholar Dr Israr Ahmed on YouTube.
‘I slowly started believing’
The chargesheet states that the complainant was introduced to concepts such as Jannah, Jahannum, Qurbani, Bakri Eid and Zamzam water.
“I was convinced that if I accepted the Islamic religion, my mental stress would decrease. I slowly started believing in those things,” the complainant said in her statement, per a report by Hindustan Times.
Investigators have also alleged that Shaikh had access to the woman's bank account details and UPI PIN and knew how much money she had in her accounts.
Probe expands, multiple accused in custody
The SIT has widened its investigation and filed additional chargesheets linked to multiple FIRs. Apart from the three accused, AIMIM corporator Mateen Patel has also been named for allegedly sheltering Nida Khan while she was absconding.
The accused across the nine cases include Danish Shaikh, Tausif Attar, Nida Khan, Raza Memon, Shahrukh Qureshi, Shafi Sheikh, Asif Aftab Ansari and Ashwini Ashok Chainani. All are currently in judicial custody.
Also Read | Delhi-NCR gets relief from heat as thunderstorms forced the IMD to trigger a red weather alert
Nida Khan has also been accused of using a WhatsApp group to pressure employees to pray, consume non-vegetarian food and follow Islamic customs.
Meanwhile, TCS earlier said that it had suspended employees accused in the case. CEO K Krithivasan stated, “TCS holds itself to the highest standards of employee welfare and institutional conduct. We remain fully committed to the safety, dignity, and wellbeing of every employee...we have a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of coercion or misconduct."
He added, “We are focused on supporting our employees and ensuring a safe and respectful workplace across all our locations. We continue to extend full cooperation to the law enforcement agencies so that the matter is investigated thoroughly, transparently and brought to a rightful conclusion.”
