TCS Nashik HR head, Nida Khan, who remains on the run after the alleged sex scandal and forced conversion racket surfaced, is actually employed as a telecaller with the company, sources told Business Today, India Today’s sister site.
The case has shocked the nation, with complaints alleging that the accused worked as a gang, primarily targeting women employees aged between 18 and 25. So far, nine FIRs, including one by a male employee, who has claimed religious harassment and attempted conversion. The complaints include abuse of Hindu deities, forced consumption of non-vegetarian food items, religious harassment and coercion, and pressure to follow specific religious practices, among others.
Eight people have been arrested so far, including seven men – Danish Sheikh, Tausif Attar, Raza Memon, Shahrukh Qureshi, Shafi Sheikh, Asif Aftab Ansar and Shahrukh Sheikh – and one woman.
Police said that some of these accused held higher designations in the company and allegedly misused their roles to harass co-workers. An officer alleged that Nida Khan discouraged a woman employee from filing a complaint, telling her that such “things happen”.
Earlier in the day, it was reported that operations at the unit were temporarily suspended, with employees instructed to work from home until further notice.
However, sources told Business Today that the office remained operational on Thursday, with around 60 employees reporting to work. The office has neither been sealed nor shut, and employees have been given the discretion to work either from home or from the office.
When asked about a rise in sexual harassment complaints in TCS’s annual disclosures since 2021, the sources said that the increase is linked to improvements in internal systems and processes introduced in recent years, particularly measures aimed at creating a safer environment for women employees. These initiatives, they said, have led to greater awareness among employees and a higher likelihood of formally reporting complaints under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) framework.
The sources indicated that the trend reflects growing confidence in grievance redressal mechanisms and better accessibility of reporting channels, rather than a proportional rise in incidents of misconduct.
They added that continued focus on sensitisation programmes and employee training has strengthened the internal reporting ecosystem, enabling employees to raise concerns more comfortably through formal channels.
