A sessions court in Nashik on Saturday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Nida Khan, an accused in the Tata Consultancy Services Nashik BPO sexual harassment and religious coercion case, denying her pre-arrest protection despite her submission that she is pregnant.
Additional Sessions Judge KG Joshi pronounced the order after hearing arguments from Khan’s counsel, led by advocate Baba Sayyed, and the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which opposed the plea during proceedings held on April 27.
Confirming the development, Sayyed said, “The judge pronounced the order today afternoon and rejected the anticipatory bail plea. A detailed copy of the order would be made available later.”
Khan had sought relief on multiple grounds, including her pregnancy, while seeking protection from arrest in connection with the case that has triggered scrutiny over workplace conduct and alleged coercive practices.
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The case involves multiple accused facing serious allegations, including sexual harassment, intimidation, stalking and attempts at forced religious conversion. Among those arrested are Mohammad Danish Sheikh, Shafi Bikhan Sheikh, Raza Rafiq Memon, Tausif Attar, Shahrukh Qureshi and Asif Aftab Ansari.
According to the allegations, Danish Sheikh is accused of luring a victim under the false promise of marriage and pressuring individuals into religious practices. Raza Memon, identified as a team leader, is accused of intimidating staff and making obscene remarks towards female colleagues. Other accused have been named in various FIRs linked to harassment, stalking and coercion.
In a related development, Ashwin Chainani, an operations manager associated with the POSH committee, was also arrested for alleged failure to act on complaints of harassment.
The sessions court had earlier declined to grant interim protection from arrest to Khan last month, signalling a consistent judicial stance in the matter.
The case continues to be investigated by the SIT, with multiple FIRs and arrests indicating the scale of allegations linked to the workplace environment at the Nashik facility.
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