Nashik: A local court on Monday extended till April 15 the police custody of the female HR manager of a Nashik-based TCS firm in connection with the sexual exploitation and religious conversion case involving some women employees.
The HR manager is accused of neglecting the complaints raised by female victims.
Earlier in the day, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) suspended several employees at its Nashik unit following allegations of sexual harassment and religious conversion, giving fresh momentum to a case that has been drawing significant attention.
On Sunday, April 12, TCS issued a statement stating it has “zero tolerance policy towards harassment and coercion of any form.”
“We have always ensured the highest standards of safety and well-being of our employees at the workplace. As soon as we were made aware of the matter in Nashik, we took swift action,” the statement read.
The clarification comes in the wake of allegations of sexual harassment and forced religious conversion by eight female employees at the multinational company’s Nashik office.
Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran on Monday termed sexual harassment allegations at TCS Nashik as “gravely concerning and anguishing”, and announced an investigation into the matter under a senior executive.
“The complaints and allegations emerging from the Nashik branch of Tata Consultancy Services have been gravely concerning and anguishing,” Chandrasekaran said in a statement.
He also announced that a thorough investigation is underway under TCS’ Chief Operating Officer Arathi Subramanian to establish the facts and identify individuals responsible for the situation.
There have been allegations of sexual harassment and forced religious conversion by eight female employees at the multinational company’s office in Maharashtra’s Nashik.
“This incident is being treated with utmost seriousness. Action has already been initiated against the accused employees, and the company is extending its full cooperation to the ongoing investigations,” Chandrasekaran, who was leading TCS as its chief executive and managing director before his appointment as the group chairman, said.
Nashik MNC case
On March 25, the Deolali Camp Police Station was approached by a young business process outsourcing (BPO) employee who accused her senior employees, including a woman, of sexual harassment, mental torture and hurting her religious sentiments between 2022 and 2026.
She alleged that one male colleague sexually exploited and molested her on multiple occasions. She said that the Human Resources (HR) department turned a deaf ear to their complaints.
As of April 3, nine complaints had been filed by eight women and one by a man, charging the same allegations.
The police have since arrested seven people, including the company’s female HR manager. The arrested accused have been identified as Asif Ansari, Shafi Sheikh, Shah Rukh Qureshi, Raza Memon, Tausif Attar, Danish Sheikh and the firm’s HR manager (who was not named), the Indian Express reported.
Maharashtra Minister Girish Mahajan on Friday, April 10, said that a special investigation team (SIT) is probing into the allegations of religious conversion and sexual harassment at the company in Nashik, stressing that stringent punishment will be handed to those found responsible.
The minister alleged that the victims had been forced to offer namaz, eat beef and that attempts had been made to convert them.
“Some senior employees, including women, did not take any action despite complaints. A case has been filed against them. The inquiry is underway. I think the involvement of some more people will also come to light in this,” he had said.
IT union approaches labour ministry
Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES), in a letter to Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, has pushed for a detailed audit of Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) compliance in TCS across all its establishments, including constitution, independence and functioning of internal committees.
The union urged the ministry to take “immediate and decisive action” by directing a comprehensive and time-bound audit and inspection.
The IT employees’ body has also demanded examination of all complaints of sexual harassment received, pending or disposed of within the organisation (TCS) over the past several years, along with action taken, while calling for the assessment of the role and accountability of HR personnel and senior management in handling complaints and ensuring a safe workplace.
It also demanded “verification of whether employees were discouraged from reporting complaints or subjected to retaliation”.
NITES said there was a need for “a wider state level audit of POSH compliance across IT and ITES companies operating in Maharashtra, especially large multinational organisations.”
“The employees of this country contribute immensely to the growth of the IT sector and to the economy at large. They deserve workplaces that are safe, respectful, and compliant with the law,” NITES said.
(With PTI inputs)
Follow on Twitter | Posted by Veena Nair | | 
