NEW DELHI, June 4: After the Tata Consultancy Service (TCS) Nashik branch, another IT company in Maharashtra has figured in a complaint of forced religious conversion in the workplace.
A woman who worked at Wipro’s Pune campus has alleged that her former boss harassed her over religious grounds and tried to force her into religious conversion, due to which she had to quit her job. She has filed a police complaint and approached the state’s human rights body against her boss – a woman who lives in Bengaluru.
A Wipro spokesperson in a statement said they have been cooperating with the authorities and provided all documents and information with the Pune Police.
According to the complainant, while working at Wipro’s campus in Pune’s Hinjewadi, she was targeted by some senior managers and team leaders specifically because of her religious beliefs. She alleged she was subjected to constant psychological pressure to convert to Islam and to adhere to its practices.
When she resisted, workplace harassment intensified and her manager threatened to give her a poor performance review and fire her, she alleged, adding she left her job due to stress and mental harassment. She decided to take the legal route after not getting a proper response from the IT company’s internal mechanism. The Pune Police have started looking into the allegations, a senior police officer said.
“A female project manager at Wipro has filed a complaint with us alleging that her female boss, who was involved in insurance-related operations, made certain objectionable remarks about her,” senior police officer Balaji Pandhare said.
“She alleged her boss subsequently asked her to resign. Later, she filed a formal complaint with us. Her boss against whom she filed the complaint lives in Bengaluru and works from there. We will also investigate what action, if any, the company has taken thus far regarding this complaint,” Pandhare said.
The non-profit Hindu Janajagruti Samiti held a press conference in Pune where the woman narrated what she allegedly endured while working at Wipro from 2019 to 2025. The police are looking into every specific allegation raised by her as well as the company’s internal records.
Wipro in its statement said, “At Wipro, employee welfare, dignity, and respect are paramount. We maintain a zero-tolerance approach towards any form of misconduct, discrimination, harassment, or actions that compromise an individual’s fundamental rights and freedoms.”
“We have been fully cooperating with the authorities in this matter and have provided all relevant documents and information with the Pune Police. As the matter is currently under investigation, we cannot comment on the specifics of the case. We remain committed to maintaining a safe, inclusive, and respectful workplace for all our employees,” Wipro said.
This incident has once again sparked a discussion on employee safety and religious freedom in IT companies. Investigation showed there were attempts of forced religious conversion at TCS Nashik unit. The case surfaced earlier this year with several survivors stepping forward with allegations of harassment and forced conversion against their colleagues. Many accused were arrested and the case is still on.
(Manas Dasgupta)