A February tip-off about suspicious activity inside a Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) BPO campus in Nashik, Maharashtra, led police to run a covert operation in which women constables posed as housekeeping staff.
The operation has now uncovered an alleged religious conversion racket with possible international links.
Investigators say evidence, including WhatsApp chats and a suspected Malaysia-linked preacher, suggests a wider network operating from within the office. The SIT has identified at least 12 alleged victims, up from nine earlier.
So far, nine FIRs have been filed by eight women and one man, with allegations including sexual harassment, rape on the pretext of marriage, and forced religious conversion. The incidents are said to have taken place between 2022 and 2024 among employees aged 18 to 25.
Three more employees have been affected and their statements have been recorded, though they have not filed formal complaints due to social stigma and personal concerns.
Seven individuals were taken into custody by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), including Asif Ansari, Shafi Sheikh, Shah Rukh Qureshi, Raza Memon, Tausif Attar, and Danish Sheikh. HR manager Nida Khan, also arrested and suspended. She is alleged to have influenced employees to adopt religious practices such as wearing a hijab and offering Namaz. However, families of the accused have denied the allegations, claiming they are being falsely implicated.
Police deployed undercover women constables inside the TCS campus as housekeeping staff, helping gather evidence and verify accounts. Investigators also found WhatsApp links to a man named Imran, allegedly based in Malaysia, suspected of influencing employees via video calls, though his role is still under verification.
The SIT has uncovered WhatsApp groups allegedly used to target colleagues and coordinate actions, with deleted chats being recovered through forensic tools.
Statements suggest the accused harassed colleagues, pressured them into religious practices, and made remarks against their beliefs, with the probe expected to widen further.
Witness claims religious conversion in campus
Amid allegations of sexual assault and forced religious conversion at TCS’s Nashik office, a witness has claimed that some accused encouraged others to “marry Hindu women” and target colleagues for conversion.
A contractual employee alleged that the accused made repeated remarks about converting religion and forming relationships with Hindu women, and also said financial incentives were involved, with claims that the HR manager was funded. The incidents are said to have been ongoing since 2021.
Police said one accused allegedly entered a relationship with a colleague under false promises of marriage and also subjected her to inappropriate physical contact and offensive remarks about her personal and marital life.
According to the FIR, complaints raised by victims to senior officials were allegedly ignored, with police saying that management inaction effectively enabled the misconduct. The accused are also said to have made obscene remarks about a victim’s appearance, while one male employee was allegedly forced to perform Namaz and faced religious insults. Victims who approached the HR manager were reportedly threatened with termination.
The Nashik police probe into alleged harassment and coercion at a TCS BPO unit suggests that more employees may have faced similar misconduct but have not yet come forward, possibly due to fear of retaliation and job loss. Authorities have urged affected individuals to report incidents, noting that broader socio-economic pressures may be contributing to their silence. So far, seven of the eight accused have been arrested, while one remains absconding.
Investigators are also examining whether there was a wider conspiracy or systemic failure to act on earlier complaints. Over 70 emails sent by a senior operations manager to a Pune-based superior are being reviewed, some of which allegedly flagged concerns but were ignored as the accused were considered high performers. The probe is also looking into possible preferential treatment and compliance with workplace harassment laws. In its response, TCS said it had an Internal Complaints Committee under the POSH Act, but no formal complaints were ever filed before it.
TCS reiterates zero-tolerance policy amid Nashik probe
Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran has called the allegations at TCS’s Nashik office “gravely concerning and anguishing” and said a detailed internal probe has been launched.
He said the investigation is being led by TCS Chief Operating Officer Arathi Subramanian to establish facts and identify those responsible. The company has already initiated action against the accused employees and is cooperating with authorities.
A day before the above statement, Chandrasekaran reiterated that TCS follows a “zero-tolerance” policy toward any form of misconduct or coercion and assured strict action against those found guilty, along with corrective measures to prevent such incidents in future.
