Nashik Court Grants Bail to Pregnant TCS Employee Nida Khan
A special court in Nashik has granted bail to Nida Khan, a five-month-pregnant Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) employee accused in an alleged religious coercion case. Special Judge K G Joshi granted bail on Monday, with the detailed order released on Thursday, observing that no child should have to endure the trauma or social stigma of being born in prison.
Khan, who was arrested in connection with an FIR registered at Deolali Camp in Nashik, is the only woman among eight accused in the case. She had been in custody for over two months following her arrest on May 7 from a house in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
In the order, Special Judge Joshi invoked the birth of Lord Krishna in captivity, stating that the trauma of a prison birth is not sufferable to anyone. He ruled that exercising judicial discretion in Khan's favor was just and proper for the welcoming and overall well-being of the unborn child.
The Nashik city police registered nine FIRs between March 26 and April 3 regarding allegations of sexual harassment, molestation, and attempted forced religious conversion at a TCS BPO office. Khan was named only in the Deolali Camp FIR and is accused of hurting religious sentiments and influencing a colleague to practice Islamic traditions by allegedly giving her a burqa and religious books, and installing religious apps on her phone. She has denied the conspiracy charges.
Khan's lawyer, Rahul Kasliwal, argued that her continued custody was unnecessary since the investigation is complete and the chargesheet has already been filed. He noted that the maximum punishment for the offence under Section 302 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita is three years, and that Khan had no connection to the sexual assault allegations faced by other co-accused.
While granting bail, the court imposed several conditions on Khan. She is prohibited from entering the workplace or residential vicinity of the complainant, and she cannot contact the complainant, witnesses, or anyone related to the case. Khan must also obtain court permission before leaving the country and must share her address and contact details with investigators.
The court recently rejected the bail plea of co-accused Danish Shaikh, while another co-accused, Tausif Akhtar, was granted bail but remains in custody due to a separate FIR.
