A multinational IT company in Maharashtra’s Nashik has come under police investigation after seven team leaders were arrested for running a conversion racket while sexually exploiting female colleagues and pressuring Hindu employees to adopt religious practices.
The persons have been identified as Asif Ansari, Shafi Sheikh, Shah Rukh Qureshi, Raza Memon, Tausif Attar, and Danish Sheikh, along with a woman whose identity has not yet been disclosed by the police. All of them held supervisory roles within the company and were responsible for managing junior staff.
Police say the arrests followed multiple complaints from employees, including eight women and a male staff member, who alleged harassment, manipulation, and attempts to coerce them into religious practices within the workplace.
The accused were produced before a court and remanded to two days of police custody as investigators began questioning them. Given the seriousness of the allegations, the Nashik Police Commissioner ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a detailed inquiry.
Parents’ complaint brings allegations to light
The case first surfaced after the parents of a young woman working at the company approached the police, raising concerns about a sudden change in their daughter’s behaviour. According to the complaint, she had begun wearing a burqa and observing Ramzan fasting, which alarmed her family and prompted them to seek police intervention.
As investigators began examining the matter, several other employees came forward with allegations. Authorities say nine criminal cases have so far been registered in connection with the case.
Women employees complain of sexual exploitation
Eight women employees have complained against colleagues in senior roles of repeated harassment and sexual exploitation. According to the complaints, the accused allegedly developed close friendships with junior staff members before gradually exerting emotional influence over them.
Some complainants claim they were persuaded into intimate relationships with promises of marriage, while others have alleged molestation, inappropriate touching, and persistent attempts to establish physical proximity. One woman stated that a colleague attempted to force physical intimacy with her inside the office premises and in the stairwell of the building. Several complainants also reported crude remarks and intrusive questioning about their personal lives.
Investigators believe some of the alleged incidents may have taken place over several years, between 2022 and early 2026.
Claims of religious pressure inside the workplace
Alongside the allegations of sexual exploitation, investigators are examining claims that some employees were pressured to participate in religious activities and adopt religious practices.
A male complainant told police that his Hindu customs were repeatedly mocked by colleagues and that he was pressured to perform prayers associated with another religion. He also alleged that he was forced to consume meat, including beef and mutton, despite objecting.
Police sources say investigators are also examining claims that one individual was taken to Mumbai for a religious procedure linked to conversion. Photographs connected to an alleged conversion attempt have also reportedly been recovered during the investigation.
Questions raised over company response
One of the complainants alleged that when she approached the company’s head of human resources with a formal complaint, no action was taken. According to her statement, she was told that such behaviour was “normal in corporate culture”, raising serious questions about whether the company’s internal grievance mechanisms failed to respond to repeated complaints.
Political reactions and wider scrutiny
The case has sparked strong political reactions in Maharashtra. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described the allegations as extremely serious and said that the police acted swiftly in exposing the matter.
State minister Nitesh Rane also reacted to the case, claiming that nearly fifteen victims may have submitted complaints and urging others to come forward if they had faced similar harassment. Rane further questioned the role of the company’s human resources department and asked why no action had been taken earlier if such activities were occurring within the workplace.
He also noted that when they were produced before the court, a crowd of nearly 600 people gathered outside, raising questions about the circumstances surrounding the case.
SIT probe continues
Police say the Special Investigation Team will now examine whether the alleged misconduct involved a wider organised network within the company and whether more victims may come forward.
Authorities are also investigating how the alleged activities could have continued for several years inside a reputed multinational workplace without earlier intervention.
Investigators say the probe remains ongoing as they attempt to determine the full scale of the allegations and identify anyone else who may have been involved.
