A Nashik court on Monday refused to grant interim anticipatory bail to 26-year-old Nida Khan – one of the eight employees of a BPO linked to Tata Consultancy Services who are accused in the case of sexual assault, harassment and religious coercion at the workplace.
Additional Sessions Court Judge KG Joshi has issued notices to the Investigating Officer (IO) and the complainant’s lawyer Milind Korkut, seeking written submissions by April 27, when the anticipatory bail application will be heard, said Kiran Bandbhar, public prosecutor on behalf of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case. “The IO and Korkut should raise their stand before the court on the anticipatory bail application filed by Nida,” Pandebhar said.
“The case is sensitive, and the complainant is suffering from physical and mental trauma,” Bandbhar said.
During the hearing, Korkut urged the court not to grant Khan interim relief without considering their requests, stressing that the complainant would like to file a written objection to the interim petition. After the court refused to grant interim protection, Bandebhar said the police were now free to arrest Khan.
Khan’s lawyers, Rahul Kasliwal and Baba Syed, are seeking her temporary protection from arrest until the court decides on her anticipatory bail application filed on Saturday.
The defense requested temporary relief on health grounds, noting that Khan was pregnant. “There was no malicious intent. The conversations (between Khan and the complainant) were normal and were not aimed at hurting religious sentiments,” Kasliwal said. He added that Khan was not on the run.
Al-Sayed told the court that Khan would not surrender before the next hearing scheduled for April 27.
The Nashik City Police registered nine FIRs against eight BPO employees — one at Devlali police station and eight at Mumbai Naka police station — between March 26 and April 3. The complaints, filed by nine employees of the same company, cite provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act on alleged sexual assault, harassment and insult to religious sentiments at the workplace.
A complaint was lodged against Khan at Devlali police station, alleging religious harassment, and an FIR was registered against her on March 26. While seven of the accused have been arrested, Khan is yet to be taken into custody. The police formed three teams to track her down.
In a related development, a bench subordinate to Additional Chief Justice RC Narwadia remanded two other accused in the case – Raza Memon and Shafi Sheikh – for 14 days.
