After Nashik police in Maharashtra arrested six TCS employees in cases related to rape, sexual assault, harassment and hurting religious sentiments, the company said it has suspended them pending investigation.
In a statement issued to the media, TCS said it was cooperating with the police and that any further action would depend on the outcome of the investigation.
“TCS has a long-standing zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and coercion in any form. We have always ensured the highest standards of safety and well-being for our employees at the workplace. As soon as we learned about the matter in Nashik, we took swift action. The employees being investigated have been suspended from work pending investigation,” the company said. “We are cooperating with local law enforcement, and any further action will depend on the outcome of this investigation.”
The arrests followed a complaint filed by a woman at Deolali police station in Nashik on March 26, accusing a senior TCS employee of rape. Subsequently, eight other employees, including one male and seven female employees, filed complaints with the Mumbai Naka police station, alleging sexual harassment.
An earlier report by HT said that the company’s HR director had received a notice from the Nashik city police, seeking an explanation in the matter. The report added that the Human Resources Director was also named as a defendant in one of the cases, as one of the complainants alleged that she failed to take the case seriously despite being informed of this.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, speaking to reporters in Beed on Thursday, described the case as “very serious” and praised the police for investigating the matter and making the arrests. “It is shocking that acts of sexual assault, harassment and religious conversion are being committed in the company. The Nashik city police have done a commendable job by quickly investigating the matter and arresting the accused,” he said.
