A disturbing pattern of sexual harassment, physical misconduct, and religious targeting against Hindu women has emerged from the BPO unit of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) located on Ashoka Marg, Nashik. Within a span of just 48 hours, several FIRs were registered at Mumbai Naka Police Station against five male employees from the same department. Notably, copies of these FIRs, exclusively accessed by OpIndia, detail the years-long sexual harassment and religious persecution faced by Hindu women employees working at the TCS-run BPO in Nashik.
The accused, Shahrukh Qureshi, Raza Meman, Asif Ansari, Tausif Attar, and Shafi Sheikh, are all associated with the ODC-02 unit handling Axis Bank credit card collections via tele-calling. Across the complaints, three Hindu women employees, two 23-year-old associates and a 36-year-old Team Leader, have described a deeply hostile work environment marked by persistent sexual harassment, invasive personal questioning, physical advances, and derogatory remarks targeting Hindu religious practices.
FIR 164/2026: Team Leader mentions years of harassment ignored
Registered on April 2, 2026, the complaint was filed by a Hindu woman (36), a Team Leader with over 11 years at TCS. In her complaint, she accused Shafi Sheikh of inappropriate conduct dating back to 2022, including leering at her chest during meetings and smirking suggestively. Despite escalating the matter to senior management, including Senior Manager Nitin Kapoor and Team Leader Deepak Singh, no meaningful corrective action was taken apart from a transfer.
According to her, Sheikh continued to approach her even after the transfer, and multiple female employees had raised oral complaints against him, suggesting a recurring pattern that went unaddressed.
She further stated that Tausif Attar engaged in deeply intrusive behaviour following her miscarriage in early 2026. He subjected her to uncomfortable, lingering stares and repeatedly suggested that she contact a “Maulvi in Ajmer,” claiming that visiting him would “guarantee” childbirth. These remarks, she said, amounted to an unwarranted intrusion into her personal and medical circumstances.
FIR 171/2026: Young associate details targeted harassment, sexual innuendos, and religious affronts
Filed on April 3, 2026, by 23-year-old associate, another Hindu woman, the complaint centres on the conduct of Raza Meman and Shahrukh Qureshi. She added that both men frequently called her to their desks under work-related pretexts but then steered conversations toward her personal life, asking whether she had a boyfriend or relationships within the office. She was also subjected to body-shaming remarks, including comments about her being “too thin” and suggestions that she join a gym.
According to the complaint, the harassment extended beyond verbal comments into suggestive behaviour. In one instance, Raza told Qureshi, “Isko tere liye ready kar,” implying an intent to groom her for him. On the occasion of Gudi Padwa on March 19, 2026, she said that Raza publicly called her over, looked her up and down, and made remarks mocking Hindu customs by questioning whether she performed puja or merely dressed up for appearances. She further stated that Qureshi persistently asked her out despite repeated refusals, creating sustained mental pressure. Fear of retaliation and the perceived dominance of the accused within the workplace prevented her from raising internal complaints.
FIR 168/2026: Detailed complaint states physical assault, sexual comments, and religious insults
The third FIR, registered on April 2, 2026, was filed by another 23 year old Hindu woman, a recently married process associate, and contains the most detailed account, naming all five accused. She stated that during her training period in June 2025, Shahrukh Qureshi and Raza Meman repeatedly questioned her about her honeymoon, sexual life, and past relationships in an intrusive and inappropriate manner, at times accompanied by veiled threats of exposure. Raza referred to her as a “player” and insinuated that he could “help” in her husband’s absence.
Nagare further accused Asif Ansari of repeated physical harassment, including inappropriate touching of her thighs, waist, shoulders, and stomach, forcing a hug, and making sexually explicit remarks about her body and clothing. She also added that Ansari made derogatory comments about Hindu practices, including statements suggesting that sexual violence occurs in Hindu communities because women do not wear burqas, along with remarks mocking Hindu deities.
“Asif Ansari told me that because you people don’t wear a burqa in your religion, rapes happen… Your gods roam naked (ugde nagde firtat), how do you even like such gods?” said the FIR, quoting the victim.
Tausif Attar was accused of misusing work interactions to establish physical proximity, including touching her cheek-to-cheek under the guise of training and making sexually suggestive comments. Shafi Sheikh, she said, engaged in repeated lewd staring and intimidating conduct, including circling her workspace. On Gudi Padwa, she further added that Raza Meman pulled her saree pallu while Attar and Ansari made obscene remarks. She stated that fear of losing her job forced her to endure the harassment silently, leading to significant mental trauma.
Legal sections and investigation
All three FIRs invoke Sections 74, 75, 79, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, relating to sexual harassment and outraging the modesty of a woman. FIR 168 additionally includes Sections 299 and 302 in its formal listing.
The pattern of systemic failure
The emergence of three FIRs within 48 hours, all naming the same accused individuals from a single department, points to what appears to be a systemic workplace failure rather than isolated incidents. The complainants have indicated that sexually inappropriate remarks, persistent harassment, and targeting of Hindu women were part of a broader office culture that went unchecked despite prior complaints.
