The controversy surrounding the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) case in Nashik has taken a new turn, with the main accused alleging that he was assaulted inside jail while in custody.
Shafi Bikhan Sheikh (36), one of the key accused in the case involving allegations of sexual harassment and forced religious conversion, told a local court that he was beaten by fellow inmates. Sheikh and co-accused Raza Rafiq Memon (35) were produced before the court in-camera on Thursday after being re-arrested a day earlier.
During the hearing, Sheikh claimed he had been physically attacked in jail and has now sought protection from authorities. However, there has been no official confirmation of any medical examination conducted following his allegations.
The court has remanded both Sheikh and Memon to two-day police custody till April 18 as the investigation continues.
Serious Charges Filed Against Accused
Police have booked the accused under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Section 74 (outraging a woman’s modesty), Section 75 (sexual harassment), and Section 79 (insulting the modesty of a woman through words or gestures).
So far, seven employees linked to the TCS unit in Nashik, including six men and a woman HR manager, have been arrested in connection with nine FIRs registered in the case.
Complaints by Women Employees Trigger Probe
The case stems from complaints filed by eight women employees who alleged that they were subjected to mental and sexual harassment by senior colleagues over a period of time. Some of the complainants also claimed that attempts were made to coerce them into religious conversion and that their concerns were ignored by the human resources department.
Following these complaints, the police formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) earlier this week to carry out a detailed probe into the allegations.
TCS Calls Allegations ‘Gravely Concerning’
Reacting to the developments, Natarajan Chandrasekaran described the allegations as “gravely concerning and anguishing.” He said that a thorough internal investigation is underway under the supervision of Chief Operating Officer Arathi Subramanian to establish facts and identify those responsible.
NCW Steps In, Police Issue Warning
The National Commission for Women has also constituted a fact-finding committee to examine the matter.
Meanwhile, city police have issued a warning to media outlets and social media users against revealing the identity of the complainants. “Disclosing the identity of victims, directly or indirectly, is a crime and causes immense distress to them and their families,” officials said.
