The Nashik Police have intensified their search for Nida Khan, who is accused in a sexual harassment case linked to Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). On Friday, authorities dispatched three teams to Mumbai in an effort to locate her. In parallel, TCS announced that it has enlisted Deloitte and the law firm Trilegal to serve as independent counsel for its internal investigation regarding the allegations of harassment.
This case came to public attention earlier this month when a number of employees from TCS’s Ashoka Marg office in Nashik lodged complaints alleging sexual harassment, rape, and violations of religious sentiments against some of their colleagues. Between March 26 and April 3, the Nashik police filed nine First Information Reports (FIRs) against eight individuals, with allegations ranging from inappropriate touching and vulgar comments to religious coercion. To date, seven of those implicated have been apprehended, while Khan remains the only suspect who has not yet been arrested.
Among the eight individuals identified in the FIRs, five—Danish Sheikh, Nida Khan, Shafi Shaikh, Shahrukh Qureshi, and Asif Ansari—were employees at the TCS Nashik office. The other two, Raza Memon and Tausif Attar, were cited as team leaders by the complainants. Ashwini Chainani, the sole senior staff member mentioned, was an operations manager based in Pune and faces charges of abetting the alleged offenders. It is claimed that Chainani did not take action despite being informed of the complaints, which may have encouraged the accused.
Khan is one of two women implicated in the allegations and is specifically named in only one of the nine FIRs, which accuses her of making derogatory comments about Hindu deities. She is not mentioned in the other eight FIRs.
In the search efforts conducted on Friday in Mumbai, Khan’s husband was taken into custody for questioning at the Mumbra police station. He informed law enforcement that she had gone to stay with relatives, but the location was found to be locked upon police arrival. Additionally, the mobile phones belonging to Khan and her family members were turned off. Authorities confirmed that the search operations are ongoing, and a Special Investigation Team has been established to look into the case.
Khan’s lawyer, Baba Sayyad, indicated to The Indian Express that he plans to file for anticipatory bail on her behalf, asserting that she is “a victim of media trial.” He also mentioned that Khan is pregnant and that her family is worried about the potential health repercussions stemming from the ongoing case.
Nashik Police Commissioner Sandeep Karnik stated that Khan’s involvement in the case appears to be minimal. “At this point, her role has not been established in any other FIR. She was an associate and not part of the HR department at the company; our investigation has not uncovered any connections to the accused in any cases filed nationwide. However, due to certain reports linking some of the accused to banned groups, we have reached out to central agencies for further investigation, as our inquiry is confined to the nine FIRs,” he explained.
In a statement released on Friday, TCS CEO and Managing Director K. Krithivasan announced the formation of an oversight committee led by independent director Keki Mistry to evaluate the findings of the internal investigation and to act on any recommendations. The investigation is headed by Aarthi Subramanian, the President and Chief Operating Officer.
TCS also sought to clarify what it described as misinformation regarding Khan’s position within the company. “Ms. Nida Khan, frequently referred to in the media as the HR manager of TCS, is neither an HR manager nor involved in recruitment. She worked as a process associate and did not hold any leadership position,” the statement emphasized. The company further confirmed that its Nashik branch remains operational, countering reports that suggested it had been shut down as “absolutely untrue.”
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