A female employee at an IT firm in Maharashtra’s Nashik was allegedly discouraged from filing a complaint of sexual harassment and attempted religious conversion.
“These things happen,” a senior Human Resources (HR) official at the branch of an IT giant told the woman who wished to file a complaint, news agency PTI reported, citing police.
The controversy is linked to at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and has snowballed into a major criminal investigation.
9 FIRs registered
Nashik Police have registered nine separate cases involving a suspected “organised gang” operating within the Nashik branch.
Seven male employees appear across multiple complaints, according to Police Commissioner Sandeep Karnik. The cases include allegations of sexual harassment, attempted religious conversion and workplace religious harassment.
The seven men worked together like an “organised gang” to target female employees, police said.
8 arrested so far
Eight employees of TCS, including seven men and the the female operations manager, have been arrested so far, reported PTI.
Another female employee named in the probe is absconding. A court in Nashik has remanded the arrested operations manager to judicial custody till April 28.
Complaints by 8 women
Police said the complaints were filed by eight women employees, while one case was lodged by a male employee alleging religious harassment and an attempt at conversion.
Investigators said the accused held positions such as team leaders and may have misused their roles.
SIT formed
A Special Investigation Team has been formed to probe the case. Officials said the first complainant was initially hesitant, but more employees came forward after police outreach and counselling.
A woman DCP and other female officers visited the office as part of the inquiry.
On reports suggesting possible links to extremist groups or foreign funding, Karnik said the probe is ongoing and agencies such as the State Intelligence Department, Anti-Terrorism Squad and National Investigation Agency have been contacted.
“As and when we get some evidence, we will be able to come to a conclusion about the same,” he told PTI.
What TCS said
Tata Group chairman N Chandrasekaran said the allegations are “gravely concerning and anguishing”, and that an internal inquiry is being carried out under TCS Chief Operating Officer Arathi Subramanian.
TCS has suspended the accused employees and said it follows a zero-tolerance policy.