Six women police personnel went undercover to investigate allegations of rape and molestation at TCS in Nashik, Maharashtra.
HT had earlier reported that the management of TCS, one of the country’s largest business process outsourcing companies, has terminated seven of the eight employees named in the FIRs registered on charges of rape, sexual harassment and hurting religious sentiments. The company also issued a statement saying it was cooperating with the police.
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The eighth accused is the company’s human resources director, and is currently in police custody. A company executive stated that she was also “under management’s radar” after allegations that she failed to intervene after an affected employee emailed her about the issue.
The seven employees were terminated after their arrest on April 7.
Eight FIRs have been registered
Police registered eight First Information Reports (FIRs) in phases between March 26 and April 3.
The case first came to light when a female employee filed a complaint at Devlali police station on March 26, accusing one of her superiors of raping her.
While the first complaint was being investigated, eight other employees, including one employee of the company, lodged their complaints at the Mumbai Naka police station, alleging sexual harassment.
The seven main accused have been booked under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act. At Devlali police station, the sections include 69 (rape), 75 (sexual harassment) and 299 (intentional acts to insult religious sentiments), while those at Mumbai Naka police station include sections 78 (stalking), 79 (outraging modesty through indecent gestures) and 299 (insulting religious sentiments).
SIT was formed
Nashik City Police Commissioner Sandeep Karnik said that a special investigation team has been formed to investigate the case.
The team is also investigating whether the company followed existing mechanisms to address complaints of sexual and other types of harassment, if they were raised internally, Karnik told HT.
However, the company CEO stated that although the Nashik unit has a functional Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act, none of the affected employees raised the issue with the ICC.
Six policemen went undercover for 40 days
Six female police officers from the Nashik City Police were undercover at the BPO office for 40 days starting mid-February to monitor the behavior of the accused, HT had earlier reported citing police sources.
A senior police official, requesting anonymity, said: “The city police received a report about the notorious acts of six employees in early February this year. A plan has been drawn up under the direction of Police Commissioner Sandeep Karnik to verify the reports we received.”
Sandeep Metke, assistant commissioner of police and head of the special investigation team probing the case, said it was a “well-crafted plan” that yielded results in the investigation.
The officer further stated that these female officers used to track whether the accused were involved in acts of misconduct during meetings or at the workstations of their female employees.
The confidential personnel were in regular contact with their seniors, providing them with feedback after working hours. The Police Commissioner has also been informed of the developments.
The official also stated that feedback from undercover personnel “confirms the negative information we received.”
Statement issued by TCS
TCS issued a statement on the case and said it was cooperating with the police, adding 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.”
