Central agencies have stepped into the TCS conversion case, which had sent shockwaves through India’s corporate world last week.
The NIA (National Investigation Agency), ATS (Anti-Terrorist Squad) and IB (Intelligence Bureau) are investigating the TCS conversion case, News18 reports. The case had involved six TCS Nashik BPO employees — Asif Ansari, Shafi Sheikh, Shah Rukh Qureshi, Raza Memon, Tausif Attar, and Danish Sheikh — who were accused of sexually harassing multiple women at TCS and attempting to change their religion.
Members of the central agencies will reach Nashik today, and will interrogate the accused who are in judicial custody. One Nida Khan is currently absconding, and the police are on the lookout for her whereabouts.
The Nashik police had carried out the initial investigation, which involved 7 women officers working for 42 days within TCS Nashik to gather first-hand the evidence of the harassment. The Nashik police appears to have discovered enough incriminating material to involve national agencies, which could indicate that the plot went beyond Nashik and a particular office. The agencies are reportedly investigating if there was a wider organization with anti-national links which was behind the events.
News18 reported that the central agencies will explore if there was external funding being provided to these TCS employees for carrying out these acts, and if the scandal was part of a broader conspiracy. The agencies will also probe if the accused had performed similar acts previously at other companies, or this was their first organized attempt at forced religious conversions.
Preliminary findings from the Nashik police had shown a high degree of preparation. WhatsApp groups were made by the accused, and victims were identified. The victims who were chosen ended up being young women aged 18-25 who were facing financial hardship. Plans were then made to approach and befriend these women, commence physical relations, and then forcibly make them convert their religion.