Kamal Ghorui
NASHIK: Police in Nashik have registered nine FIRs in connection with allegations of attempted religious conversion, sexual harassment and workplace misconduct at a local IT firm, with investigators saying the accused appeared to operate in a coordinated manner targeting employees. A senior officer said the investigation has revealed that seven male employees allegedly functioned “like an organised gang” to target female staff members.Also read: TCS Nashik scandal: How cops in plainclothes uncovered pattern of abuse Explaining the role of two women accused in the case, Nashik police commissioner Sandeep Karnik said one of them is absconding, while the other—an operations and HR head—was arrested for allegedly discouraging a victim from filing a complaint. “These things happen,” she allegedly told the complainant, and sided with the accused, according to police. The arrested female manager has been remanded to judicial custody till April 28 by a Nashik court. Responding to speculation over possible links with extremist groups or foreign funding, Karnik said investigations were ongoing and agencies including SID, ATS and NIA had been approached. “As and when we get some evidence, we will be able to come to a conclusion about the same,” he added. Police said the nine FIRs include a complaint from a male employee alleging attempted religious conversion and harassment at the workplace. Earlier this week, a special investigation team (SIT) was formed after eight female employees complained of mental and sexual harassment by senior colleagues, alleging that their grievances were ignored by the HR department. Police have arrested eight employees of the firm, including seven men and one woman operations manager. Another woman employee remains absconding.Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran described sexual harassment as “gravely concerning and anguishing”, adding that a detailed internal investigation was underway under TCS chief operating officer Arathi Subramanian. “Nine FIRs have been registered in Nashik involving allegations of attempted religious conversion, sexual harassment, and religious harassment at the workplace. The accused—nine in total, including seven men and two women—held positions of authority such as team leaders and allegedly misused their roles to harass co-workers,” Karnik said. He added that the male accused featured across multiple cases, suggesting coordinated misconduct. One woman accused is named in a single case, while the HR head is accused of discouraging a complaint. “Police are conducting a thorough investigation and have contacted agencies like the SID, ATS, and NIA to examine any possible wider links. Initially, the first complainant was hesitant, but after receiving support and counselling from the police, more victims came forward, leading to multiple FIRs being registered,” he said. Karnik said a woman DCP and female officers were deployed at the office to interact with staff and conduct inquiries, following which more complaints emerged.
