Nashik TCS: Employee cites pregnancy to seek pre-arrest bail; custody of 2 male accused extended

NASHIK, April 18: A female employee of the TCS unit in Nashik, accused in a case related to alleged religious conversion and sexual harassment of some women colleagues at the office, on Saturday, moved an anticipatory bail application, citing her two-month-old pregnancy.
The accused, identified as Nida Khan, stated that the charges invoked against her attract less than seven years of punishment.
Khan’s plea will be heard by the Nashik sessions court on Monday.
Separately, a court extended the police remand of two male accused, Raza Memon (35) and Shafi Sheikh (36), in the alleged sexual harassment and religious conversion case till April 20 to allow police to identify and question key witnesses and collect more evidence.
Nida Khan’s lawyer has denied the charges against his client, saying she cannot be accused of outraging the modesty of other women. Memon and Sheikh are among the seven employees, including a woman HR manager, who have been arrested so far, while Nida Khan is absconding.
The duo was arrested afresh in a related case on Wednesday and were produced before a magistrate at the end of their remand on Saturday. The other accused are already in judicial custody.
The police requested the court to extend their remand for five days to identify and question key witnesses in the case.The accused have allegedly committed various acts with religious motives against male and female colleagues. (PTI)