India’s largest software exporter, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), has come under fire, following nine FIRs (first investigation report) alleging sexual harassment and religious conversion incidents at the company’s Nashik unit.
The IT services giant has said that it has a “zero-tolerance” policy towards harassment and coercion of any form. The company has already suspended the employees being investigated, which includes six people who have been arrested so far in relation to the case.
A TCS spokesperson on April 12 said, “As soon as we were made aware of the matter in Nashik, we took swift action. The employees being investigated have been suspended pending an enquiry. We are cooperating with the local law enforcement authorities, and any further action will be based on the conclusion of this investigation.”
“TCS has a long-standing zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and coercion of any form. We have always ensured the highest standards of safety and well-being of our employees at the workplace,” the company added.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has taken cognizance of the case, calling the incident “very serious” and praising the Nashik police for acting quickly.
A special investigation team (SIT) has been set up to investigate the case.
FIRs and arrests so far
Nashik police is currently questioning the IT company’s HR official, who is based out of Pune, and failed to take action when the women complainants alerted.
According to police, some victims had earlier approached the HR manager with complaints, but no action was taken. “We issued her a notice to join the probe at a later date,” an officer quoted by The Indian Express said.
The case began in March when a woman filed a complaint alleging that a colleague had maintained a physical relationship with her by promising marriage. During the investigation, police registered eight more FIRs related to sexual harassment and religious conversion, as per the report.
So far, at least six people working at the company have been arrested. The action was taken based on intelligence inputs received by the Nashik Police Commissioner’s office.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Asif Ansari, Shafi Sheikh, Shah Rukh Qureshi, Raza Memon, Tausif Attar, and Danish Sheikh, along with a woman whose identity has not been revealed.
At least eight women and a man have come forward to complain against the group operating in the company. The nature of the complaint includes influencing them to eat beef and mock Hindu gods and goddesses, and in some cases, there are charges of sexual assault, as per the Indian Express report