Tata Consultancy Services has ordered all 150 employees at its Nashik BPO unit to work from home, suspending workplace operations after serious allegations of sexual harassment and forced religious conversions surfaced, triggering a major controversy.
Eight female employees at the Nashik facility have accused senior colleagues of sexual harassment and coercion to convert religion. The complaints, which have now escalated into multiple police cases, allege sustained harassment and pressure over a period of time.
In total, nine complainants—including one male employee—have come forward with accusations ranging from harassment and mental torture to forced religious conversion.
Investigators have placed the unit’s HR manager at the center of the probe. According to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by the Maharashtra Police, the HR official allegedly failed to act on repeated complaints and attempted to suppress the matter.
Police suspect the HR manager to be the “mastermind” behind efforts to shield the accused. As a member of the POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) Committee, the official was expected to escalate such complaints but instead allegedly urged victims to withdraw their allegations.
Authorities have recovered around 78 “suspicious” call records, emails, and chats exchanged among the accused. Preliminary findings also point to possible financial transactions linked to the case.
So far, seven individuals—including the HR manager—have been arrested. A total of nine cases have been registered, with one filed at Deolali Camp police station and eight at Mumbai Naka police station in Nashik.
Responding to the controversy, TCS reiterated its zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and coercion. The company confirmed that employees named in the allegations have been suspended pending investigation.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken suo motu cognisance of the issue and constituted a fact-finding committee to investigate the matter.
The panel—comprising retired Bombay High Court Justice Sadhna Jadhav, former Haryana DGP B.K. Sinha, Supreme Court advocate Monika Arora, and NCW senior coordinator Lilabati—is scheduled to visit the Nashik facility on April 18.
The committee will interact with victims, police officials, and company representatives, assess the response of authorities, identify lapses, and recommend further action.
With multiple agencies now involved and serious allegations under scrutiny, the case has drawn widespread attention. Authorities continue to examine evidence and statements as the investigation progresses.
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