NASHIK: Invoking the instance of Lord Krishna’s birth in captivity, a special court in Nashik has granted bail to Nida Khan, a TCS employee accused in an alleged religious coercion case. The court observed that no child should have to endure the trauma or social stigma of being born in a prison.

Nida Khan, who is five months pregnant, was granted bail by special judge K G Joshi. In the detailed order, the court stated, “It is not disputed that applicant Nida is five months pregnant. The trauma of taking birth in a prison like Lord Krishna or the social stigma attached to it is not sufferable to anyone. To avoid such a distressing situation, and for the welcoming and overall well-being of a newborn baby, it would be just and proper to exercise judicial discretion in favour of the applicant-accused.”

Khan is one of the eight employees accused in the high-profile TCS Nashik case, where the city police registered nine FIRs alleging sexual harassment and attempted religious conversion of colleagues at a TCS BPO office. Khan, the only woman among the accused, faced charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for allegedly hurting religious sentiments and influencing a colleague to practice Islamic traditions by providing a burqa, religious books, and installing religious apps on her phone. She was arrested on May 7 from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

Her defense counsel, Rahul Kasliwal, argued that since the Special Investigation Team (SIT) had already filed the chargesheet, her continued custody was unnecessary. He also emphasized that she had no connection with the sexual harassment allegations leveled against the other co-accused, Danish Shaikh and Tausif Akhtar.

While granting bail, the court imposed strict conditions on Khan, including restraining her from entering the workspace or residential vicinity of the complainant, prohibiting contact with witnesses, and directing her not to leave the country without prior permission. Meanwhile, the court rejected the bail plea of co-accused Danish Shaikh, noting that he had deceived the victim under the pretext of marriage.

GangolliNews