Nashik BPO case: Court denies interim anticipatory bail to Nida Khan

ANashik margaret court on mon refused to give meantime prevenient bail to 26-year-old Nida Khan -- one of the eight employees from the Tata Consultancy Services-linked BPO accused in a case of alleged sexual abuse, harassment and religious coercion at the workplace.Kiran Bandbhar, public prosecutor on behalf of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case, said that the court of additional sessions judge K G Joshi has issued notices to the investigating officer (IO) and the complainant’s counsel Milind Kurkute, seeking written submissions by April 27, when the anticipatory bail plea will be heard. “The IO and Kurkute should place their stand before the court about Nida’s anticipatory bail application,” said Bandbhar.“The case is sensitive, and the complainant has suffered physical and mental trauma,” Bandbhar argued.During the hearing Kurkute urged the court not to grant Khan interim relief without considering their submissions, emphasising that the complainant wished to file a written objection to the interim plea. Following the court’s refusal to grant interim protection, Bandbhar said the police are now free to arrest Khan.Khan’s lawyers -- Rahul Kasliwal and Baba Sayyed – were seeking her interim protection from arrest until the court decides on her anticipatory bail application, which was filed on Saturday.The defence argued for interim relief on health grounds, stating that Khan is pregnant. “There was no malicious intent. The conversations (between Khan and the complainant) were casual and not aimed at hurting religious sentiments,” said Kasliwal. He added that Khan was not absconding.Sayyed told the court that Khan would not surrender ahead of 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 firm, invoke provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for alleged sexual abuse, harassment and outraging religious sentiments at the workplace.A complaint against Khan was lodged 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 has not yet been taken into custody. Police have formed three teams to trace her.In a related development, a court of the additional chief judicial magistrate R C Narwadiya remanded two other accused in the case -- Raza Memon and Shafi Shaikh -- to 14 days’ magisterial custody.