Pregnancy, not main accused: What absconding TCS employee’s lawyer told court; anticipatory bail plea to be heard tomorrow

NASHIK: A 26-year-old woman employee accused in a case of alleged “religious harassment” at the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Nashik office has moved the Nashik Road sessions court seeking anticipatory bail, citing pregnancy among the grounds for relief.Her lawyer, Baba Sayyed, told TOI on Saturday, “We have applied for the anticipatory bail plea of our client in the court of Nashik Road Sessions Judge Kedar Joshi, and the court will hear our plea on Monday.” Sayyed, along with advocate Rahul Kasliwal, who filed the application, said multiple grounds had been cited in the plea. “One of the grounds is that she is not the main accused. Secondly, the punishment is up to three years in the case pertaining to hurting religious sentiments filed against my client. Hence, we have sought her pre-arrest bail.”“The other grounds are that the woman is pregnant, and also that there has been delay in filing the complaint against the accused,” he added.Meanwhile, TCS on Friday said a preliminary review of its records showed no complaints of the nature alleged on its ethics or Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) channels.“The country's largest IT services company also announced an oversight panel and engagement of external entities in its internal probe. It has a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of coercion or misconduct,” it said.The case has triggered a wider probe after allegations of sexual harassment and pressure to convert surfaced at the Nashik unit. Police have arrested eight persons and registered nine FIRs in connection with the matter.Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday chaired a high-level meeting and directed a “comprehensive probe” into the case.“Incidents like religious conversion will not be tolerated. Examine all possible patterns and angles; no aspect should be left out,” the chief minister said, while also appreciating Nashik police for bringing the case to light.(With inputs from PTI)