There have been seven arrests in the TCS conversion case, but the alleged mastermind of the entire scheme is still evading police.
Nida Khan, the alleged mastermind of the TCS Nashik conversion case, is absconding, and the police is on her lookout. A manhunt has been launched to nab the female TCS employee, who is accused of aiding 6 men — Asif Ansari, Shafi Sheikh, Shah Rukh Qureshi, Raza Memon, Tausif Attar, and Danish Sheikh — of sexually assaulting other women employees and forcing them to change their religion
Multiple police teams have been deployed across Maharashtra to trace her movements, News18 reports. The police are also on the lookout for another woman who was initially part of the planning but later distanced herself and left the WhatsApp group where the discussing of trapping and exploiting the women were taking place. In the WhatsApp group, there were detailed discussions of who the victims would be — the group targeted young women aged 18-25 from economically weak families — and how they would be approached.
Nine FIRs have already been filed in the case. There is the possibility of three more FIRs being filed as more victims come forward.
Police investigations have indicated that Nida Khan could have been the mastermind of the entire operation. Nida Khan has been accused of initially approaching and befriending the victims. She also pressured them to change how they dressed to be more compliant with her religion. Nida Khan was the only female in the group, and would meet the victims in office over lunch and telling them how to behave with the other co-accused in the case. Interestingly, Nida Khan had been transferred from Nashik — her hometown — to Mumbai two months before the case had exploded.
TCS Conversion Case
Six TCS employees working out of the Nashik office are accused of targeting young women employees aged between 18 and 25, deliberately identifying those facing financial difficulties during job interviews by collecting details about their family background and household income. Women employees accused the men of making obscene comments about their bodies and clothes, touching them inappropriately, and mentally harassing them. One of the most serious allegations is of rape, where the accused is said to have forced a relationship by promising marriage. In one reported incident, a female employee was allegedly taken to a resort on a holiday and sexually assaulted.
The women also alleged forcible religious conversion. Complaints include forcing victims to offer namaz, compelling them to eat beef, and pressuring them to convert to another religion. The male complainant alleged he was repeatedly humiliated for his Hindu beliefs. The accused also forced a male colleague to perform Namaz, disrespecting his religion. Some women victims alleged they were compelled to adopt Islamic practices, including wearing a burqa and observing Ramzan fasts.
A seven member women team from the Nashik police had worked undercover at the TCS Nashik office for 42 days to collect evidence against the accused, following which the arrests were made. Central agencies including the NIA, Anti-Terror Squad and IB have joined the probe and are interrogating the accused.