Nashik police on Thursday arrested Nida Khan, the 26-year-old TCS employee who had been evading law enforcement for over 40 days, from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra, police said.
With the arrest, the police closed in on the woman they had named the "absconding mastermind" of an alleged religious conversion and workplace harassment racket at the company's Nashik BPO unit.
Following her detention, Khan was produced before a Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) at the judge's residence, where police secured transit remand. She was later taken to Nashik for further questioning and legal proceedings.
Who Is Nida Khan?
Khan joined Tata Consultancy Services' Nashik facility in December 2021 as a process associate in the sales department, working as a tele-caller. She was not a senior employee. Despite early reports placing her in a human resources role, TCS clarified in a formal communication that "she served as a process associate and did not hold any leadership responsibilities."
Yet police say her position belied the scale of her alleged conduct. The Nashik SIT named her a primary accused alongside Danish Shaikh and Tausif Attar, both of whom have been in judicial custody since March 27.
What Are The Charges?
The allegations against Khan are extensive and cut across multiple FIRs. According to the FIR, Khan and her co-accused mocked Hindu deities and rituals while speaking with victims — making derogatory remarks about the Shivaling, Lord Krishna, and Draupadi to provoke them.
Prosecutors paint a more calculated picture of her alleged role. Khan allegedly changed one complainant's identity to "Haniya," promised her a job in Malaysia while persistently pressuring her to convert, and warned that refusing would bring disaster to her family.
She also allegedly trained the victim to conduct namaz, instructed her to wear a headscarf at home, and placed Islamic objects in her surroundings.
Other victims alleged she pressured them to change their dietary habits, adopt religious symbols, and follow Islamic dress codes. One complainant claimed her harassers justified violence against women as a consequence of not wearing burqas.
Investigators say a human trafficking angle is also emerging, with allegations that at least one victim was drugged before being pushed into conversion — a claim the SIT is actively probing. These events reportedly took place between February 2022 and March 2026.
The Timeline
March 26: The first FIR is registered at Deolali Camp Police Station, alleging workplace harassment and a religious conversion racket. Khan goes absconding the same day. Co-accused Danish Shaikh and Tausif Attar are arrested the following morning.
April 2: A second victim, files FIR No. 169/2026 at Mumbai Naka Police Station. The accused are booked under Sections 74, 75, 79 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
April 21: The Nashik Sessions Court refuses interim anticipatory bail to accused. Nine FIRs have now been registered; eight accused are in custody. Police dispatch three teams across Maharashtra to trace Khan, who is, reportedly, two months pregnant.
April 27 – May 2: Khan moves to court where her anticipatory bail plea is heard and then formally rejected by Additional Sessions Judge KG Joshi, who describes the offence as "serious" and rules that custodial interrogation is necessary. Khan's counsel had cited her pregnancy as grounds for relief.
May 7: Khan is arrested from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and was produced before a Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC). She was later taken to Nashik for further questioning and legal proceedings.
ALSO READ: TCS Nashik Conversion Case: Key Accused Nida Khan Arrested In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
What TCS Said
Following the allegations, TCS suspended Khan with immediate effect on April 9, writing to her that "considering the seriousness of the matter as reported and that you are presently unable to discharge your official duties, the Company has decided to place you under suspension until further communication and decision in the matter by the Management." Her access to the TCS network was revoked, and she was directed not to discuss the matter with any employee.
The company also used the communication to distance itself from any suggestion that Khan wielded institutional authority, reiterating that she held no leadership role at the facility.
The Nashik Police's SIT has so far arrested eight people in connection with the case and registered nine FIRs — with Khan's arrest marking the first time the accused they called the operation's primary orchestrator is in custody.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
