Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has suspended multiple em ployees at its Nashik office following serious allegations of sexual har assment, coercion and workplace misconduct involving at least eight women employees. The accused staff — including a human resources manager — have been placed under suspension pending the outcome of an internal inquiry, as the company reiterated its “zero-tolerance” policy and said it is cooperating fully with the police. Police have arrested seven ac cused, among them a female HR manager, and constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case. TCS Chairman Natarajan Chan drasekaran termed the allegations “gravely concerning and anguishing” and said a senior-led internal probe is underway to establish accounta bility, with assurances of strict action against those found guilty.
A local court on Monday extended till April 15 the police custody of the female HR manager of a Nashik-based IT firm in connection with the sexual exploitation and religious conversion case involving some women employees. Eight employees of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) had alleged sexual harass ment and a forced religious conversion bid by their sen ior colleagues. Earlier this week, the police formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the complaints lodged by eight employees, who claimed that senior colleagues mentally and sexually harassed them, and the human resources department ignored their complaints. The police have since arrested eight people, including the company’s fe male HR manager. Assistant Public Prosecu tor Aniket Awhad request ed Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate JV Paliwal to extend the police custody, citing the need for an ex tensive investigation. The HR manager is accused of neglecting the complaints raised by female victims. Other arrested accused are identified as Danish Sheikh, Tausif Attar, Raza Memon, Shahrukh Qureshi, Shafi Sheikh, Asif Aftab Ansari, and Nida Khan. After her arrest, the court remanded her to police custody till April 13. TCS on Sunday said that the firm has adopted a ze ro-tolerance policy towards harassment and coercion of any form for a long time, confirming the suspension of employees allegedly involved in sexual harass ment at its Nashik office. The employees being in vestigated have been sus pended pending enquiry, the company’s spokesper son said, adding that the firm is cooperating with lo cal law enforcement author ities and any further action will be based on the conclu sion of this investigation.
