The business process outsourcing (BPO) facility of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in Maharashtra’s Nashik on Thursday (16th April) shut its operations temporarily after several of its female employees revealed how they were subjected to sexual exploitation and religious coercion by a group of Muslim senior employees at the facility. The employees at the BPO facility have reportedly been instructed to work from home until further notice.
The TCS BPO facility has been embroiled in controversy after an undercover operation by some women cops exposed how a bunch of Muslim employees at the facility, including two women, had been targeting its female employees by subjecting them to sexual abuse and religious coercion. The victims also included a male employee who alleged religious persecution by his Muslim seniors and colleagues.
The exposure prompted the police to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the matter. So far, nine FIRs have been registered by the police in connection with the case and eight accused, including a woman, have been arrested. The police are looking for an absconding woman accused.
Speaking about the case, Nashik Police Commissioner Sandeep Karnik said that the seven male accused in the case operated like an organised gang in the office. The victims in the case have made some disturbing disclosures about the activities of the accused at the workplace. According to the victims’ testimonies, the accused made sexually coloured and offensive remarks at the female employees, indulged in sexually inappropriate behaviour, and even subjected certain female employees to sexual exploitation. The accused also made derogatory remarks about the faith of their employees and Hindu deities and forced them to convert to Islam.
