Nashik, Apr 22 (PTI) A local court has denied interim protection from arrest to TCS employee Danish Shaikh in another case related to alleged sexual harassment and forcible conversion at the local unit of the firm, noting that there are “serious criminal antecedents” against the accused.

Citing the preliminary stage of the investigation, the court also stated that the purported offence has wide social repercussions affecting law and order in the society.

"The allegations in the FIR suggest that Shaikh had indulged in deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of the informant," said Additional Sessions Court Judge V V Kathare.

The court highlighted that the allegations "cannot be looked into in isolation, when there are serious criminal antecedents against the applicant".

The 31-year-old accused is already arrested in one of the nine FIRs registered in connection with the alleged sexual exploitation and religious harassment case at the Nashik unit of TCS . He is currently in judicial custody.

He has requested interim bail in the case registered at the Mumbai Naka Police Station in Nashik until the main plea was decided.

Opposing the plea, the prosecution sought time to file a response.

The court on Tuesday refused interim relief and directed the prosecution to file its response by April 27.

The court acknowledged that the FIR "reveals uttering of the specific words by the applicant with the deliberate intent to wound the religious feeling of the informant".

"The offence charged is having wide social repercussions affecting the law and order situation in the society," the court said, adding that the investigation is at a nascent stage and his release would certainly affect the progress of the investigation.

In this specific case, Shaikh has been booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 75 (Sexual harassment), 299 (Deliberate acts to outrage religious feelings), among others.

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

Eight employees, including a woman HR manager of the Nashik TCS unit, have been arrested so far.

The other arrested accused have also moved bail applications, which will be heard in the coming days.

TCS has clarified that 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. PTI AVI NP NSK

Interim protection from arrest refused in a harassment and religious feelings case amid serious criminal antecedents. Interim protection from arrest was refused in a case involving allegations of sexual harassment, forcible conversion and deliberate acts intended to outrage religious feelings. The court noted serious criminal antecedents, wide social repercussions, and that the investigation was at a nascent stage, observing that the applicant's alleged conduct could not be viewed in isolation. The accused, already in judicial custody in a connected matter, had sought interim bail while the prosecution was directed to file its response.