TCS under scanner: POSH audit sought after Nashik harassment claims
IT sector employees’ body NITES on Monday approached the Ministry of Labour and Employment seeking a detailed audit of POSH compliance in Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and batted for a wider state-level audit across tech and ITES companies, especially large multinational organisations in Maharashtra. The letter to the Labour Ministry comes in the backdrop of charges of sexual harassment and allegations of forced religious conversion by eight female employees at TCS’s office in Nashik — an incident that has drawn sharp scrutiny and raised serious concerns.
NITES urged the Ministry to take “immediate and decisive action” by directing a comprehensive and time-bound audit and inspection. India’s largest IT services company had, on Sunday, said it has adopted a zero-tolerance policy against any form of harassment or coercion for a long time, confirming the suspension of employees allegedly involved in sexual harassment at its Nashik office.
Nascent Information TechnologyEmployees’ Senate (NITES), in a letter to Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, has pushed for a detailed audit of POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) compliance at TCS across all its establishments, including the constitution, independence, and functioning of internal committees. The IT employees’ body has also demanded examination of all complaints of sexual harassment received, pending, or disposed of within the organisation (TCS) over the past several years, along with action taken, while calling for assessment of the role and accountability of Human Resources personnel and senior management in handling complaints and ensuring a safe workplace.
The Nashik City Police have registered nine FIRs, arrested seven accused officials, and formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the claims, which reportedly span several years. It may be noted that the first case was reported in 2022, and then Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had ordered a detailed probe. It took four years for the Nashik Police to gain control over this scandal, which had been ongoing unabated in one of the country’s most prestigious consultancy companies.
The case has drawn significant attention due to the involvement of TCS, allegations of workplace coercion blending sexual misconduct with religious pressure. Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had then publicly described the incidents as shocking and emphasised that such acts would not be tolerated. The victim Hindu women had submitted written complaints to Nashik Police and accused a group of senior employees, primarily team leads, of targeting vulnerable junior colleagues, many of them young Hindu women. It has also been revealed that the Muslim employees of TCS Nashik had created WhatsApp groups and discussed their plans to target vulnerable women. Sources indicated the group allegedly targeted Hindu employees with financial incentives or influence to facilitate conversions.
The victims have alleged that there were repeated inappropriate touching, obscene remarks about physical appearance and personal life, molestation, and, in some cases, maintaining physical relations under false promises of marriage. Victims alleged that complaints to higher-ups, including the HR department, were ignored. Police investigation has found that the HR head, identified as Nida Khan, was complicit and did not pay heed to the repeated complaints.
According to the complaint filed by a male employee, he was coerced into religious practices against his will.
Nashik Police described the complaints as involving a group operating within the workplace. The named accused who have been arrested are: Asif Ansari, Shafi Sheikh, Shah Rukh Qureshi (also referred to as Shahrukh Qureshi), Raza Memon, Tausif Attar, and Danish Sheikh. The arrested persons were produced in court and remanded to police custody initially.
According to the police, on April 10, 2026, the investigating officer recorded the statement of the company’s HR manager, who resides in Pune. Victims had allegedly complained to her earlier, but no action was reportedly taken at the time. She was issued a notice to join the probe further.[1]
Reference:
[1] TCS suspends staff as Nashik probe deepens – Apr 13, 2026, The Pioneer
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