Manufacturing A ‘Conversion’ Plot: What The Nashik TCS FIRs Actually Reveal

In the packed courtroom with police and cameras in Nashik, the case against Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) employees has already acquired a life far beyond its FIRs. While public discourse and television debates invoke claims of “conversion rackets” and “corporate jihad”, a reading of nine police complaints tells a different story—one centred on allegations of workplace sexual harassment and the hurting of religious sentiments, with no substantiated claim of organised religious conversion.

On April 16, Thursday, outside the courtroom of Additional District Judge R.C. Narwadiya, dozens of police personnel stood to ensure security as two of the accused in the case, employees of Tata Consultancy Services’ BPO unit in Nashik, were produced for remand. OB vans of national news channels were parked outside the court premises. Television reporters and local YouTube journalists waited with cameras to capture visuals of the accused, who were brought in with their faces covered.

As soon as Judge Narwadiya ordered an “in camera hearing”, everyone except the lawyers was asked to vacate the courtroom. Outside, a few relatives of the accused stood in the lobby, carrying a palpable sense of anxiety and uncertainty. Long before a court of law could determine guilt or innocence, the families of the accused appeared burdened by what they described as a media trial.

“Nobody wants to know the truth. Our daughter Nida never worked as an HR in TCS. She was a process associate and never held any senior position. Nor did she abscond, but the media has exposed her identity with distorted facts. Inhone hamari bacchi ko kahin mooh dikhane ke layak nahi chhoda. Ab zindagi bhar woh ghar se bahar nahi nikal sakti (They have left our daughter in a state where she cannot show her face anywhere. Now she won’t be able to step out of the house for the rest of her life),” said Nida’s father, Javed Khan. TCS also has clarified with a statement that Nida Khan wasn't working as HR.

Nida Khan, one of the accused in the case involving alleged sexual harassment and hurting of religious sentiments, has been termed “absconding” by the Nashik Police since eight accused were arrested on April 4, 2026. According to an FIR, Nida Khan, along with Danish Shaikh and Tausif Attar, is accused of hurting the religious sentiments of a co-worker. The same FIR also includes allegations of sexual harassment at workplace against Shaikh and Attar.

Khan’s lawyer has filed an anticipatory bail application, seeking interim protection from arrest until the plea is decided. The district sessions court rejected the request for interim relief on April 20, and the matter is now listed for hearing on April 28. This effectively means she remains liable to be arrested.

According to her lawyer, Baba Sayyed, the allegations do not warrant arrest. “Supreme Court judgments state that if offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita carry punishment of less than seven years, arrest is not necessary,” he said.

Khan’s pregnancy has also been cited as a ground in her anticipatory bail application.

A total of nine FIRs were registered between March 26 and April 2, 2026, against eight accused—all Muslims—and Ashwini Chainani, who held a managerial position at TCS. Eight of them, including Chainani, have been arrested by the Nashik Police. The allegations include sexual harassment at workplace, preaching Islam as the “best religion”, insulting Hindu deities and beliefs, forcing complainants to consume non-vegetarian food, and managerial negligence—specifically against Chainani, who is accused of ignoring complaints and failing to comply with HR policies.

Complainants have alleged that their grievances regarding sexual harassment and religious harassment were ignored by Chainani.

While some complainants stated that they were asked to convert to Islam, none of the FIRs mention that any conversion took place, nor do they indicate the existence of a conversion racket or conspiracy.

On April 20, two accused—Raza Memon and Shafi—were produced in court and remanded to judicial custody. Sources indicated that the police may seek their custody for further investigation across multiple FIRs linked to the case.

The first FIR, registered at Deolali Camp Police Station on March 26, also states that the complainant had been in a relationship with Danish Shaikh, and later discovered that he was married with children.

Claims circulating in sections of the media about the National Investigation Agency entering the case, or about Nida Khan’s alleged links to a bomb blast, have been dismissed as baseless by the Nashik Police and her legal representatives.

“Our teams are actively searching for Nida Khan in Mumbai. The Mumbai Police have also questioned her husband regarding her whereabouts,” said Sandeep Mitake, ACP (Crime), Nashik Police.

No complaints to TCS Internal Committee under the POSH Act

A review of the FIRs reveals serious allegations of workplace sexual harassment. However, none of them mention complaints filed under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace (POSH) Act. There is also no reference to the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) or its functioning in response to these allegations.

Under the POSH Act, district authorities are responsible for ensuring compliance with ICC norms in organisations employing more than 10 people. Outlook reached out to Nashik Collector Ayush Prasad regarding the ICC compliance at TCS.

“We sought a report from TCS’s ICC under Section 25 of the POSH Act. The company has responded, and we are verifying the details,” Prasad said.

According to the collector, the ICC reported that it had not received any formal complaints from women employees under the POSH Act.

“We have been regularly conducting awareness programmes on the POSH Act. In December 2025, we carried out a drive to ensure all companies and government offices had ICCs in place. Nearly 8,000 new ICCs were constituted between December 2025 and January 2026,” Prasad added.

On whether POSH violations are part of the police probe, ACP Mitake said, “It is primarily the administration’s responsibility to examine POSH violations, but it is also part of our investigation and will be brought on record. An FIR is a preliminary document, not the complete body of evidence.”

Experts say that while internal committees exist in corporate settings, the law’s intent—to prevent workplace sexual harassment—is often undermined. Employees are frequently discouraged from filing complaints, as companies seek to maintain a record of “zero cases”, and stakeholders are inadequately trained.

“Corporates allocate poor funding for IC training, honorarium for external members, and capacity-building workshops. It is seen as a non-revenue expense. This weakens the implementation of the POSH Act. There is also a mindset issue—women are often warned of consequences if their complaints are not proven, and are labelled troublemakers,” said Anagha Sarpotdar, a POSH consultant with over two decades of experience.

Sarpotdar emphasised that the case fundamentally concerns workplace sexual harassment. “Even if written complaints were not filed, stakeholders should have encouraged women to do so, as the law focuses on prevention. Instead, the issue is being politicised with multiple agendas,” she said.

TCS’s Nashik office is located in Ashoka Business Enclave in Indira Nagar, which houses several BPO units. In recent days, a noticeable silence has settled over the area. Women exiting after shifts walk quietly to their vehicles. Small tea stalls and snack vendors remain shut. Security personnel have restricted entry, saying operations at the TCS unit have been halted.

Women employees are now often accompanied by male family members. WhatsApp groups have become hyperactive, and rallies and protests are being organised, with attempts to communalise the issue under the guise of “protecting Hindu women”.

Social media content and reels targeting Hindu women urge them to stay at home. “It is better Hindu women sit at home rather than fall prey to ‘corporate jihad’,” said a young auto driver in Nashik. Asked what he meant by the term, he did not respond.