"Thank God I Survived": TCS Nashik Woman Employee Reveals More Horrors

A woman employee of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in Nashik has described being isolated on a rooftop terrace and having her phone and personal belongings confiscated as part of what she called a pattern of targeting young women in the office.

The woman, who has worked at TCS for six years, spoke on a video call to NDTV. She said she was transferred to the Nashik office and then made to work alone on a terrace separate from the main building.

"I was made to work alone on the rooftop, and my phone and bag were confiscated," she told NDTV. "Whenever I came downstairs to use the washroom or for other purposes, my mobile phone, bag, and all personal belongings were confiscated under the pretext of security or other excuses."

"We have seen that many of the young employees who work in the company were being exploited. They were being brainwashed," she added. 

The employee said that young women aged 20 to 25 were being approached as soft targets. "They thought that it would be easy to trap them. If you have any complaints, then you go to your HR. But here, even the HR was scared," she added. "Thank God I survived otherwise, the same thing would have happened to me today." 

Her family is now in deep shock and fear for her safety after the matter became public. The employee also appealed to all working women to unite and speak out against what she called the "dark culture" prevalent in offices. She confirmed that amid the controversy and investigation, all employees at the Nashik office have now been assigned to work from home.

A separate contractual employee at the Nashik office told NDTV: "They used to say, 'Go make Hindu girls your girlfriends and marry them'. They used to say 'convert your religion' and used to talk about their religion. They were also given money. It was ongoing since 2021. The HR madam was also funded."

Police in Nashik are investigating nine complaints of mental and sexual harassment linked to the TCS branch. The complaints were filed by eight women employees and cover the period from February 2022 to March 2026. 

A special investigation team was formed last week. Seven employees have been arrested: Danish Sheikh, Tausif Attar, Raza Memon, Shahrukh Qureshi, Shafi Sheikh, Asif Aftab Ansari, and HR manager Nida Khan. 

Another woman employee connected to the ones mentioned above is currently missing. 

All arrested staff have been suspended by TCS.

One accused repeatedly engaged in a physical relationship with an employee on the false promise of marriage. Police said the accused also touched one of the employees inappropriately and made shameful remarks regarding her personal and marital life. They made obscene remarks regarding her physical appearance.

"When the complainant repeatedly lodged verbal complaints regarding these incidents with the company's head officer, he failed to take cognisance of her complaints regarding the molestation; instead, he effectively abetted their actions," the police said in a statement.

The accused also forced one male employee to perform Namaz and insulted his religion. When women approached the HR manager with complaints, they were threatened with termination. 

Nida Khan has been described as the "lady captain". She allegedly befriended the women, made them comfortable and gradually trained them to offer namaz and wear the hijab, police said. 

The parents of arrested employee Raza Memon rejected the allegations. "He is innocent and is being framed. He is not like this," his mother told NDTV.

"TCS has a long-standing zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and coercion of any form. We have always ensured the highest standards of safety and well-being of our employees at the workplace. As soon as we were made aware of the matter in Nashik, we took swift action," TCS said in a statement. 

The company said the employees under investigation have been suspended pending enquiry. It is cooperating fully with local law enforcement and any further action will follow the conclusion of the investigation.

On Monday, Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran called the allegations "gravely concerning and anguishing". He said a thorough investigation is underway under TCS Chief Operating Officer Arathi Subramanian. 

"This incident is being treated with utmost seriousness. Action has already been initiated against the accused employees, and the company is extending its full cooperation to the ongoing investigations," he said. 

"My first reaction was one of shock. TCS is a great company and I would presume they have good systems to prevent this kind of harassment. It is a breakdown of systems and processes and capture of human resources by communal elements. I read that this person used to grab a woman in front of everybody and the people kept quiet. There's an element of fear. It is something that you cannot believe can happen in any corporate organisation - much, much more than a great company like TCS," Mohandas Pai, chairman of Aarin Capital, told NDTV on Tuesday.