Thane, Apr 17 (PTI) A Nashik police Crime Branch team arrived in Mumbra in Thane district to track down a woman, who is an accused in a case related to alleged religious conversion and sexual harassment at a TCS unit, and questioned her husband on Friday, an official said.

The absconding accused has been on the police radar following the registration of complaints in Nashik, where the scandal-hit unit of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is based.

The Nashik Crime Branch team is currently stationed in Mumbra to locate the woman, who has reportedly been residing in the area for the past two months, said the official.

Police sources said the woman's husband was questioned by the Nashik cops at his home about her whereabouts.

"The investigative team is following specific leads in Mumbra. We have information that the accused had shifted her base to evade arrest," a police officer said.

According to another official, the woman's husband told the police his wife had gone to a relative's house.

However, when the police team reached the relative's residence, it was found locked. Also, mobile phones of the accused and her relative were switched off, he said.

After the scandal came to light last week, the Nashik police formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the complaints lodged by eight female employees of the IT major, who claimed senior colleagues mentally and sexually harassed them, while the human resources department ignored their complaints.

There were also allegations of forced religious conversion at the TCS facility.

Police have so far arrested eight TCS employees -- seven men and the female operations manager at the unit. Another female employee is absconding and the Nashik police team is in Mumbra to look for her.

The Nashik police have formed three teams to trace the absconding woman. These teams have been dispatched to various places and one of them landed in Mumbra, officials said.

The SIT is probing a total of nine cases registered in connection with exploitation, attempt of forceful conversion, hurting religious sentiments, molestation and mental harassment of female employees at the TCS unit.

TCS has made it clear it has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and coercion of any form for a long time, and the employees allegedly involved in sexual harassment at the Nashik office have been suspended.

Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran had termed sexual harassment as “gravely concerning and anguishing”, and announced that a thorough internal investigation was underway to establish the facts and identify individuals responsible for the situation. PTI COR DC RSY

Workplace harassment and forced conversion probe intensifies as police search for an absconding accused and question her husband. Police investigation continued into allegations arising from an IT workplace complaint involving sexual harassment, mental harassment, exploitation and alleged forced religious conversion at a TCS unit. A special investigation team was constituted after complaints by female employees, and multiple cases were registered on these allegations. Several employees were arrested, while one woman accused remained absconding and was being traced by police teams across different locations. The employer stated that it maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward harassment and coercion and had suspended employees allegedly involved in the misconduct.