The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Nashik City Police has expanded the ambit of its ongoing probe into the nine FIRs filed against employees of TCS’s Nashik BPO unit for alleged sexual harassment, blackmail and forced religious conversion of Hindu women. In a significant development, the SIT has shared its full report, including key evidence, with central agencies to investigate if a larger network is involved. The case which has already led to the arrest of seven individuals including six team leads who have been found involved in systematic subjugation of Hindu women employees.
Well places sources say, the Central agencies have become involved as there is enough material evidence to suggest that an organized network, involving a WhatsApp group for targeting, financial trails, or broader radicalisation links, was actively involved in forced religious conversion. The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Maharashtra Police, National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) have sought detailed inputs and evidence from the Nashik Police SIT.
Reports indicate that teams from these agencies are expected to join the investigation on the ground and coordinate with Maharashtra Police in the investigation. Meanwhile, the police sources confirmed that the SIT, led by ACP Sandeep Mitke, is examining digital evidence, including alleged WhatsApp coordination groups and blackmail material. Though no fresh arrests were made on Monday, the investigation is going full steam with appeals for additional victims to come forward.
The SIT continues systematic questioning, evidence analysis and tracking of the absconding accused. Police Commissioner Sandeep Karnik has described the investigation as “systematic and evidence-based.”
This focused police effort has already led to swift arrests and suspensions by TCS, highlighting both the scale of alleged misconduct and the authorities’ response. More revelations and arrests cannot be ruled out in the coming days. ACP Sandeep Mitke has stated that “more arrests and custodial actions are likely” as the probe expands further.
The SIT was constituted on the orders of the Nashik Police Commissioner following intelligence inputs, victim statements and senior state-level directives to investigate nine FIRs involving allegations of sexual harassment, blackmail, grooming, and forced religious conversion at the TCS BPO unit in Satpur MIDC, Nashik.
Key allegations include coercive demands to perform Namaz, observe Roza, consume beef and adopt Islamic practices, alongside sexual exploitation, stalking, and career-related threats. Police sources confirm the SIT is treating the case as a coordinated racket involving senior team leads who allegedly used their positional power.
The SIT is probing a secret WhatsApp group on the accused’s phones, described as the ‘control room’ for coordinating operations, including targeting Hindu women with false promises of marriage or promotions. The sleuths are looking for alleged intimate photos, videos allegedly used for blackmail, call records and office surveillance data. Detailed recordings from complainants and other employees are being examined by the SIT and it has appealed for more victims to come forward.
The most important aspect in this scandal is the undercover operation involving seven women police officers who worked inside the unit for approximately 40 days, gathering on ground intelligence that led to the arrests.
Seven individuals have been arrested so far including team leads Asif Ansari, Tausif Attar, Shafi Sheikh, Raza Memon, Danish Sheikh and Shah Rukh Qureshi while One key accused Nida Khan the Assistant General Manager, HR, referred to in some reports as the ‘Lady Captain’ is reportedly absconding.
The SIT has widened its search to Nashik and Pune and a notice was earlier served to her for allegedly suppressing complaints. The arrested accused have been remanded in police custody and are being interrogated to piece together the sequence of events leading to coercion and religious conversion.
