On Thursday, the Nashik City police continued their investigation into nine FIRs related to allegations of sexual harassment and forced religious conversions at a local IT firm. They recorded the statement of an HR manager employed at the company, who resides in Pune.
There are claims that some victims had raised concerns with the HR manager, but no action was reportedly taken. An officer involved in the investigation stated, “We have issued her a notice to participate in the inquiry at a later date.”
The first FIR was lodged in the last week of March, when a woman accused a colleague of engaging in a sexual relationship under the pretense of marriage. Following this, the police filed an additional eight FIRs concerning sexual harassment and conversion issues, leading to the arrest of six individuals associated with the firm.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis addressed the matter during an event in Beed district, describing the situation at the Nashik IT company as extremely grave. He praised law enforcement for uncovering the incident and emphasized the need for a strong condemnation and thorough pursuit of justice. “Such occurrences in a technology company, where employees faced religious coercion and sexual harassment, are shocking. Those responsible should face severe penalties,” he asserted.
In response to media inquiries about the Nashik cases, Fadnavis stated, “Such incidents will not be tolerated in Maharashtra.”
As reported by sources within the Chief Minister’s Office, the Nashik police have detained at least seven individuals in connection with allegations of religious coercion and harassment against women at the IT company. The arrests were executed by the Nashik City Police Commissioner based on intelligence reports. The individuals taken into custody include Asif Ansari, Shafi Sheikh, Shah Rukh Qureshi, Raza Memon, Tausif Attar, Danish Sheikh, and an unnamed woman.
Sources indicated that the allegations suggest the group was specifically targeting Hindu employees with the intention of converting them to Islam, employing financial incentives to influence their decisions. So far, at least eight women and one man have lodged complaints against the group, which reportedly includes attempts to pressure them into consuming beef and mocking Hindu deities. There are also accusations of sexual assault.
BJP cabinet minister Nitesh Rane criticized the situation, labeling it as “corporate jihad.” He remarked, “We have taken decisive measures against love and land jihad. If this issue is now infiltrating the corporate sector, we will address it with the same vigor. No one has the right to impose religious conversions. Those involved in such actions will face legal repercussions. I also question the company’s response; when numerous women reported harassment, why was there no action from the HR department?”
Rane further noted, “In the case of the fraudulent guru Ashok Kharat, when the police intervened, Hindu organizations demanded the strictest punishment. Why are minority groups silent now? Everyone should come forward to denounce such incidents.”
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