Nashik’s sessions court has refused pre-arrest protection to Nida Ejaz Khan, a key accused in the Tata Consultancy Services BPO workplace abuse case, tightening the police investigation into allegations of sexual harassment, coercion and pressure linked to religious conversion at the company’s Nashik unit.Additional Sessions Judge KG Joshi rejected Khan’s anticipatory bail plea on Saturday after hearing submissions from her defence team and the Special Investigation Team. The prosecution opposed relief on the ground that custodial interrogation was necessary to examine her alleged role in the case, including claims that she acted in concert with two male co-accused. The detailed order was not immediately available, but lawyers associated with the case confirmed that the plea had been dismissed.
Khan had sought protection from arrest after being named in a First Information Report registered at Devlali police station on March 26. Her counsel had cited, among other grounds, her pregnancy and argued that Maharashtra does not have a dedicated law criminalising religious conversion. The prosecution countered that the case involved serious offences beyond the question of conversion, including alleged sexual harassment, religious coercion and conduct requiring direct custodial questioning.
The case has widened into one of the most sensitive workplace investigations involving a major technology services company. Police have registered nine FIRs against eight employees connected to the Nashik BPO unit. Seven accused have been arrested, while Khan has remained unavailable to investigators. The FIRs were filed at Devlali and Mumbai Naka police stations after multiple employees came forward with complaints alleging harassment, abuse, coercive religious pressure and intimidation inside the workplace.
Investigators are examining allegations that complainants were pressured to adopt religious practices, consume food against their beliefs, wear religious attire, or accept new names. One complainant alleged that she was renamed “Haniya” and given religious material and an outer garment as part of coercive conduct. Another complaint by a male employee alleged that he was compelled to consume food and was filmed wearing religious headgear without consent. These allegations remain subject to police investigation and judicial scrutiny.
The SIT is also looking into electronic devices, communications, financial trails and possible links to organised religious coercion. Police have told the court that digital evidence and the questioning of accused persons are central to establishing the sequence of events, the alleged role of each accused and whether the workplace complaints formed part of a wider pattern rather than isolated disputes.
The matter has also raised questions about internal workplace safeguards. The case has drawn attention to whether complaints under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment framework were handled properly, whether employees had adequate channels to report misconduct, and whether supervisors or human resources personnel acted on warning signs. A senior human resources official linked to the unit has also come under scrutiny in connection with alleged lapses in responding to complaints.
Tata Consultancy Services has suspended employees named in the case and begun its own internal inquiry. The company has maintained a zero-tolerance position on misconduct, but the scale of police action has put pressure on corporate governance systems that are expected to deal swiftly with complaints involving sexual harassment, intimidation and religious sensitivity.
The investigation gained public attention after Nashik police deployed women officers undercover at the BPO premises for several weeks to assess workplace conditions and gather leads. That operation preceded arrests and helped investigators frame the case as one involving multiple complainants and overlapping allegations rather than a single workplace grievance.
The case has also become politically charged in Maharashtra, where allegations involving religious conversion and workplace harassment often trigger sharp public responses. Police officials have so far framed the matter as a criminal investigation based on employee complaints, with the SIT expected to avoid prejudging motive until forensic and testimonial evidence is assessed.
Khan’s defence team is expected to move the Bombay High Court for anticipatory bail. Until then, the SIT is likely to continue efforts to secure her presence for questioning. The rejection of pre-arrest bail strengthens the prosecution’s position at this stage, but the charges against all accused will ultimately depend on evidence tested through investigation and trial.