Orchestrated Plan to Target Hindu Victims for Religious Conversions in TCS, Nashik  

NEW DELHI, June 5: The charge sheet in the TCS, Nashik, alleged sexual harassment and forcible religious conversion case has brought to light what investigators termed an orchestrated plan by the accused to target the victims.

One of them alleged that she was made to watch videos of Pakistani Islamic cleric and preacher Tariq Jamil and Indian preacher Zakir Naik. The videos were shown so that the woman could learn about Islam, she said in her statement, which is part of the charge sheet submitted in a Nashik court last week.

In her statement, the victim told the police how the accused orchestrated a calculated psychological and religious manipulation campaign, exploiting her vulnerability under the guise of reducing her “mental stress.” She said she was even “convinced” that if she accepted Islam, her mental stress would come down, and that she had slowly started believing in “those things.” The charge sheet pertains to the case registered at Deolali camp police station based on a complaint filed by a 23-year-old employee of the IT firm.

Apart from the three arrested accused, identified as Danish Shaikh, Tausif Attar and Nida Khan, the charge sheet also mentions All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) corporator Matin Patel from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar as an accused for allegedly sheltering Nida Khan when she was on the run.

As per the charge sheet, Patel had given shelter to Khan so that she could evade arrest, and that he did so despite being aware that her anticipatory bail plea had been rejected. During his questioning before Khan’s arrest, when the police inquired about her whereabouts, Patel repeatedly responded: “Imtiaz Jaleel Sahib ko poochna padega (we will have to ask former AIMIM MP Imtiaz Jaleel).” “However, when interrogated thoroughly, he told the police about the place where he had given shelter to Nida Khan along with her mother, father, brother and aunt,” the charge sheet said.

The victim, in her statement, told the police how the three accused orchestrated a calculated psychological and religious manipulation campaign, exploiting her vulnerability under the guise of lowering her “mental stress.” Danish Shaikh, who is married, sexually exploited her on the pretext of marrying her, the statement said.

When the victim feared for her future and family acceptance, he said: “Don’t be afraid, trust me, Allah is with us. Stop listening to Bhagwan songs and going to the temple; your stress will decrease.” Then he told her to recite the Tasbeeh, the statement said.

According to the victim, he [Shaikh] told her, “The more you take Allah’s name, your sins will be forgiven, and your good deeds will increase; if you read Astaghfar, meaning you will ask for forgiveness from Allah, your mental stress will decrease.”

Elaborating further, the woman told the police that Danish asked her to watch the video of Pakistani Islamic cleric, preacher and member of the Tablighi Jama’at Tariq Jamil and listen to his speeches. The victim said Danish had taken complete information about her bank accounts and the UPI PIN, and that he was aware of the money in her bank.

“Danish had told Tausif and Nida to give me information about Islamic religion. Therefore, Tausif and Nida used to tell me about the Islamic religion from time to time. Tausif told me to search for videos of Zakir Naik and Dr Israr Ahmed (Pakistani Islamic scholar) on my mobile on YouTube and listen to them, and I watched them as per his instructions,” the victim said.

The charge sheet mentioned that the victim was subjected to Islamic theology, including stories of Ibrahim, Bakri Eid, Zamzam water, Qurbani, and the concepts of Jannat (heaven) and Jahannum (hell). “I was convinced that if I accepted the Islamic religion, my mental stress would decrease. I slowly started believing in those things,” the victim said.

The charge sheet includes statements of 106 witnesses, including the complainant, her mother, TCS employees/management, Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) committee members and the investigating officers of the case.

Meanwhile, the victim’s mother said in her police statement that her daughter was coerced into converting to Islam and sexually exploited after being threatened with harm to her family. The family noticed changes in her lifestyle over the past year, including a shift from “modern clothes” to “full-covered salwar kurta” and irregular eating habits, the statement said.

The mother said her daughter told the family that she had “accepted Islam” after three person — Danish Sheikh, Tauseef Altaar and Nida Khan — “taught her Kalma” and warned of “doomsday” in the house if the family did not convert and remove idols of deities.

The Maharashtra government government had formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) after several women employees at the Nashik unit of the IT major made allegations of exploitation, attempt at forceful conversion, hurting religious sentiments, molestation and mental harassment.

While one case was registered at the Deolali Camp police station, eight FIRs have been registered at the Mumbai Naka police station in the city. Some victims have also alleged that they were coerced or pressured into adopting religious practices, including praying, changing dietary habits, and adopting religious symbols.

The accused named across the nine cases include Danish Sheikh, Tausif Attar, Raza Memon, Shahrukh Qureshi, Shafi Sheikh, Asif Aftab Ansari, Nida Khan and Ashwini Ashok Chainani. All are currently in judicial custody.

Nida Khan has been accused of targeting employees in a WhatsApp group, pressuring them to pray and eat non-vegetarian food. According to the FIR, she also allegedly advised women employees to dress and behave in accordance with Islamic traditions.

TCS has made it clear that it adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and coercion of any form for a long time, and the employees allegedly involved in sexual harassment at the Nashik office have been suspended.

Meanwhile, a court in Nashik has deferred till June 12 the hearing on the bail application of Nida Khan. Khan, who was arrested in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, had been remanded to judicial custody on May 11 until May 24. Her custody was subsequently extended.

Last week, the Additional Sessions Judge K.G. Joshi (Nashik Road) gave June 12 as the next date for hearing on the bail application. Along with Nida, the hearing on the bail applications of accused Danish Sheikh and Tausif Attar will also take place that day.

(Manas Dasgupta)