Nashik, Apr 18 (PTI) A victim in the alleged sexual harassment case at the TCS unit here has told police that one of the accused established a physical relationship with her against her wishes while concealing his marriage, and also insulted her religion at workplace while putting pressure on her to convert to Islam.

A Special Investigation Team of Nashik police has arrested eight persons by registering nine FIRs after cases of alleged sexual harassment and pressure to convert at the Nashik unit of Tata Consultancy Services came to light.

In a related development on Saturday, Nida Khan, a woman employee who is among the accused, filed a pre-arrest bail plea citing her pregnancy and denying the charges even as police are on her trail.

As per a First Information Report based on a complaint filed by a victim woman, she met one of the accused four years ago, and the two became friends as they had attended the same college.

The accused promised to help her secure a job at TCS after graduation, she told police.

In July 2022, he attempted to force himself upon her and also expressed a desire to marry her, the complaint said.

The woman joined TCS's Nashik unit where the accused also worked. In August 2024, he established a physical relationship with her against her wishes at a resort, she stated in the complaint.

In February 2026, the complainant found out that he was a married man with two children when his wife contacted her.

When the complainant confronted him, the accused allegedly admitted that he had no intention of marrying her.

The accused, along with two other colleagues -- also named in the FIR -- frequently met her in the company canteen, and the trio often made derogatory remarks about Hindu deities, the complainant said.

They allegedly made objectionable comments about worshipping 'Shivalinga' and said insulting things about Draupadi of the Mahabharat.

Further, they put pressure on her to convert to Islam, claiming it was a superior religion, the complainant told police.

She also allegedly faced sexual harrassment and blackmail by some of the co-accused, according to the FIR.

Police have invoked Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 68 (sexual intercourse achieved through deceitful means), 75 (sexual harassment) and 299 (hurting religious sentiments) in this FIR.

Besides this case, there are eight other FIRs related to alleged sexual harassment and forcible religious conversion at the TCS unit.

Tata Consultancy Services on Friday said that a preliminary review of the records indicated that it had not received any complaints "of the nature that are being alleged on either our ethics or POSH (prevention of sexual harassment) channels".

The country's largest IT services company also announced an oversight panel and engagement of external entities in its internal probe. It has a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of coercion or misconduct, it added.

Nida Khan, the woman accused in the case, filed an anticipatory bail application before the Nashik sessions court, which will hear the plea on Monday.

Separately, a court extended the police remand of co-accused Raza Memon (35) and Shafi Sheikh (36) till April 20.

Nida Khan's lawyer denied the charges against his client, saying she cannot be accused of outraging the modesty of another woman.

TCS had on Friday clarified that Khan was not an HR manager (as claimed by a section of media), and never held any leadership role.

A Nashik Police Crime Branch team is currently stationed in Mumbra in Thane district to track down Khan.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, meanwhile, held a high-level meeting of the home department to review some key ongoing investigations. Ordering a comprehensive investigation of the TCS case, he asserted that incidents like forcible religious conversion will not be tolerated, officials said. PTI AVI COR MR BNM NSK KRK

Sexual harassment and coercive conversion allegations trigger multiple FIRs, deceitful intimacy claims, and religious insult accusations. Allegations of sexual harassment, deceitful sexual intercourse, religious insult, and pressure to convert arose from complaints made by a woman employee at a company unit in Nashik. The complaint states that one accused concealed his prior marriage, induced friendship and a promise of employment, attempted forced intimacy, and later established a physical relationship against her wishes, while also allegedly making derogatory remarks about Hindu deities and urging conversion to Islam. The FIR invokes sexual intercourse by deceitful means, sexual harassment, and hurting religious sentiments under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.