NASHIK: Nida Khan, an absconding TCS employee accused in a case of alleged religious conversion and sexual harassment at the company's Nashik unit, was arrested in central Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar with police claiming that a local AIMIM corporator had provided her shelter.
Following her arrest on Thursday, she was produced before the Nashik Road sessions court on Friday. The court remanded her in police custody till May 11.
After her name figured in a First Information Report registered at Deolali Camp police station, Khan (27) had moved the sessions court last month seeking anticipatory bail, pleading innocence and citing her three months pregnancy. Rejecting the plea on May 2, the court had said there seemed to be a "systematic plan" of brainwashing the victim.
Reacting to the development, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said it was clear that an AIMIM corporator had a role to play in sheltering Nida Khan.
"We will find out who was behind it. We will also find out whether they are involved in the conversion racket, encouraging it," Fadnavis told reporters.
Khan was produced before Additional Sessions Judge K G Joshi on Friday with the police seeking her custody for seven days. District Government Prosecutor A S Misar said there was an attempt to convert one of the victims who was given a burqa and given training for offering Namaz.
Khan had visited the victim's house and engaged in "activities related to Namaz and burqa," the prosecution claimed.
A detailed probe was being conducted into Instagram, YouTube links and reels that were repeatedly sent to the victim, said Misar.
As per the probe, the victim's name was to be changed to 'Haniya' and she was to be sent to Malaysia. Links to an alleged conversion racket at Malegaon in Nashik district also surfaced during the investigation, the prosecution said, adding that all these aspects needed a thorough probe and Khan's custodial interrogation.
Earlier, talking about Khan's arrest, Nashik Police Commissioner Sandeep Karnik said that a crime branch team from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, led by the city's police chief Pravin Pawar, had been tracking her movements for the past few days.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Nashik police is probing nine cases of alleged molestation and harassment at TCS's local unit. It had earlier arrested eight persons, including a woman operations manager, by registering nine FIRs after allegations of exploitation, attempt of forceful conversion to Islam, hurting religious sentiments, molestation and mental harassment of women employees surfaced.
Nida Khan was accused of targeting employees in a WhatsApp group, pressuring them to pray and eat non-vegetarian food. She allegedly advised women employees to dress and behave in accordance with Islamic traditions.
Khan has also been booked under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, as the complainant in her case belongs to a Scheduled Caste.
According to police, local All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) corporator Matin Patel harbouned Khan and her family in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar for the past few days.
Sustained questioning of Patel led to Khan's arrest, and he was named as an accused in the case for allegedly providing shelter to Khan who was apprehended from Naregaon area, police said.
Her father Ejaj Bashir (52), mother Nilofar Ejaj (44), brother Mohammad Ejaj (20), and aunt Noorjehan Sheikh Ali (44), were also with her, officials said.
After the case came to light, TCS asserted that it has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and coercion of any form for a long time, and the employees allegedly involved in sexual harassment at the Nashik office have been suspended.
Meanwhile, Nida Khan's arrest triggered a war of words between Maharashtra minister Sanjay Shirsat and AIMIM leader and former MP Imtiaz Jaleel.
Shirsat, who belongs to the Shiv Sena, said the police should investigate if AIMIM and Jaleel had any links to the TCS case. Jaleel hit back, asking why the minister was acting as if he was the police and the court.
Shirsat, who is the guardian minister of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, alleged that Jaleel had earlier openly supported Khan and made statements in her favour.
The AIMIM leader, on his part, said that Nida Khan was being treated as if she had killed many people.
"If the police have filed an FIR, they will act according to law. I will ask the police authorities about this and also my people. I will cooperate with them," he said, while claiming that Khan was a victim of a media trial.
State BJP minister Nitesh Rane dubbed the AIMIM a "terrorist organisation".
Against the backdrop of the TCS case, the Maharashtra government on Friday directed strict implementation of the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act to safeguard women at workplaces.
All government and private establishments employing 10 or more persons must set up Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) and register them on the Centre's She-Box portal, said an official release.
The directions were being issued following a "serious incident reported at a reputed multinational company in Nashik", the release said.
