Targeted financially weak employees, extremist links; More details emerge in TCS Nashik case

NASHIK: More details emerged in the religious conversion and grooming case reported in Tata Consultancy Services’ (TCS) Nashik office. It is said that the Nashik police have written to the Anti-Terrorism squad, including the National Investigation Agencies, sharing details of the nine arrested employees of the firm.

Police commissioner Sandeep Karnik, while responding to the case, said that the move to include central agencies is to examine the case from multiple angles. Police said there was an organised gang behind the crime, and most of the accused were part of the hiring team, so they had clear knowledge of the new employees' details.

The gang would zero in on employees who had financial issues, family discord and were vulnerable. Karnik did not directly respond to allegations of extremist links but said that the group behaved in an organised manner as if they were well-trained in these tactics.

The commissioner also expects cooperation from central agencies to unearth the mystery behind the gang and the disturbing crimes committed with impunity in one of the country’s most reputable IT firms.

The shocking details emerged after one of the female victims approached police, saying that she was lured in the pretext of marriage by an employee who soon started forcing her to do namaz and convert to his religion. Police in their investigation found that many women in the firm went through the same ordeal. Police officials masqueraded as IT employees and conducted a covert operation inside the firm to find the veracity of the allegations. What came later was the arrest of nine employees, which even included a senior female staff.