‘These things happen’, HR official linked to TCS told woman wanting to report harassment in Nashik
A female employee at an IT firm in Maharashtra’s Nashik was allegedly discouraged from filing a complaint of sexual harassment and attempted religious conversion.
“These things happen,” a senior Human Resources (HR) official at the branch of an IT giant told the woman who wished to file a complaint, news agency PTI reported, citing police.
The controversy is linked to at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and has snowballed into a major criminal investigation.
Nashik Police have registered nine separate cases involving a suspected "organised gang" operating within the Nashik branch.
Seven male employees appear across multiple complaints, according to Police Commissioner Sandeep Karnik. The cases include allegations of sexual harassment, attempted religious conversion and workplace religious harassment.
The seven men worked together like an “organised gang” to target female employees, police said.
Eight employees of TCS, including seven men and the the female operations manager, have been arrested so far, reported PTI.
Another female employee named in the probe is absconding. A court in Nashik has remanded the arrested operations manager to judicial custody till April 28.
Police said the complaints were filed by eight women employees, while one case was lodged by a male employee alleging religious harassment and an attempt at conversion.
Investigators said the accused held positions such as team leaders and may have misused their roles.
A Special Investigation Team has been formed to probe the case. Officials said the first complainant was initially hesitant, but more employees came forward after police outreach and counselling.
A woman DCP and other female officers visited the office as part of the inquiry.
On reports suggesting possible links to extremist groups or foreign funding, Karnik said the probe is ongoing and agencies such as the State Intelligence Department, Anti-Terrorism Squad and National Investigation Agency have been contacted.
source:hindusatntimes.com
