Pregnant TCS Employee Granted Bail in Conversion Case; Court Cites Birth Trauma
Nida Khan, a former employee of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) who was arrested in connection with a sexual harassment and religious conversion case at the company's Nashik unit, has been granted bail by a local court. The court, in its order, noted that the trauma of giving birth in prison would be unbearable for any woman, drawing a parallel with the circumstances of Lord Krishna's birth.
Khan, who is five months pregnant, was arrested on May 7 from a rented flat in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar after being on the run for nearly 25 days. She sought bail primarily on grounds of pregnancy. Additional Sessions Judge K.G. Joshi, on July 6, granted her relief, stating that keeping a pregnant woman in custody would serve no purpose as the investigation was complete and a charge sheet had been filed.
The judge remarked, “The trauma of giving birth in a prison like Lord Krishna or the related social stigma is not bearable for anyone. To avoid such an agonising situation and for the welcome and overall welfare of the newborn baby, it would be just and proper to exercise judicial discretion in favour of the applicant-accused.”
The prosecution, represented by public prosecutor Vijay Gaikwad and lawyers for the victim, opposed the bail pleas of Khan and co-accused Danish Shaikh, arguing that there was sufficient evidence of sexual assault and religious coercion. Khan's lawyer, Rahul Kasliwal, claimed she was innocent and falsely implicated, noting that she was highly educated and had been employed as an associate at TCS before her termination in April.
The court granted Khan bail on a personal bond of ₹75,000 and one solvent surety of the same amount.
The police are investigating nine cases related to alleged exploitation, attempts at forceful conversion, hurting religious sentiments, molestation, and mental harassment of female employees at the TCS unit. In this specific case, registered at Deolali Camp police station, Khan has been booked under sections 69 (sexual intercourse by deceitful means), 65 (sexual harassment), and 299 (outraging religious feelings) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, as well as provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, as the victim is a Dalit.
According to the investigation, Khan's role involved brainwashing the victim by providing her with a burqa and religious literature, installing Islamic applications on her mobile phone, teaching her to offer namaz, and showing her how to wear a hijab. After the cases emerged, TCS stated it has a zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and had suspended the employees involved.
