A group of undercover female police officers in India masqueraded as employees at one of the world’s largest IT services companies to expose an alleged sexual abuse and religious conversion scandal.
Police arrested at least seven people after multiple women came forward with similar allegations of sexual harassment, molestation, stalking, and pressure to enter sexual relationships at an office of the Tata Consultancy Services in Nashik in western India.
Among those arrested were six men and a female human resources official. Investigators said there was no evidence of a wider organised conspiracy or the influence of outside actors on the allegation of religious influence on employees.
Authorities have registered nine formal complaints, mostly by women but including at least one man, at police stations in Nashik, a city about 180km north of Mumbai in the state of Maharashtra.
The alleged incidents span four years, from February 2022 to March 2026.
Nashik police launched a covert operation after they received a tip-off about a woman being influenced to adopt Islamic practices in the office and allegations of sexual abuse, according to The Indian Express.
Six female officers went undercover for around 40 days from mid-February, taking up roles within the office to monitor the behaviour of the accused.
“We got some of our constables hired there as housekeeping staff to keep an eye on what was happening,” an officer told the newspaper, adding that the operation yielded sufficient evidence to proceed.
Investigators said the first case was registered by a woman accusing a man of rape. She alleged that the senior employee had entered into a sexual relationship with her on the pretext of marriage.
Subsequent questioning led to additional complaints involving molestation and alleged attempts to influence religious beliefs with more than a dozen women, aged 18 to 25, coming forward with similar complaints.
Police said the accused men targeted women who were seen as vulnerable, including those facing marital or emotional difficulties.
Female colleagues were allegedly used as intermediaries before male employees initiated direct contact, while multiple WhatsApp groups were created to engage and influence victims, police said.
Some complainants said the harassment at times occurred openly within the office, but repeated complaints to HR failed to produce effective action.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Sandeep Mitke is leading the investigation into the nine cases. The investigation is also examining whether the company complied with mandatory provisions under the Indian law that protects women from sexual harassment at the workplace.
The people who have been named by the police are Nida Khan, Shafi Shaikh, 34, Asif Ansari, 22, Tausif Attar, 36, Shahrukh Qureshi 34, Raza Memon, 35, Danish Shaikh, 34 and Ashwini Chainani. Police said Ms Khan and Mr Attar were the masterminds of the harassment case. Ms Khan, who is on the run, allegedly used to introduce the victims to Mr Attar.
Mr Mitke said it is not an organised gang or conspiracy and they were not connected to any group to carry out religious conversions.
“Tausif, after undertaking a religious visit two years ago, became religious and influenced the other accused, who then influenced others still. It was their own religious zeal that led them to influence those working around them. There was no external factor or conspiracy driving them.”
Lawyer Baba Sayyad, who is representing four of the accused, called the claims “flimsy allegations” that do not stand up to scrutiny.
“During Eid, even my non-Muslim friends who visit home come dressed in sherwanis (a long coat mainly worn by men). That does not mean that they are being converted,” he said.
TCS, which has over 500 offices across 55 countries, including the UK and the US, has suspended all seven of the accused.
The company, owned by India’s largest multinational conglomerate, the Tata Group, said an internal investigation has been launched to investigate the matter.
N Chandrasekaran, the Tata Sons chairman, said the complaints and allegations emerging from the Nashik branch have been “gravely concerning and anguishing”.
“This incident is being treated with the utmost seriousness. Action has already been initiated against the accused employees, and the company is extending its full cooperation to the ongoing investigations,” he said in a statement.
“The group maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of coercion or misconduct by its employees. A thorough investigation is underway to establish the facts and identify all individuals responsible for this situation.”
