The Nashik sessions court noted criminal antecedents and said the alleged offence involved wide social repercussions affecting law and order.
A sessions court on Tuesday, April 21, refused to grant interim anticipatory bail to Danish Ejaz Shaikh in a case alleging outraging of religious sentiments.
The case relates to the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Nashik BPO matter. It involves allegations of sexual harassment and forced religious conversion.
Danish is already in judicial custody in a separate FIR connected with allegations of sexual harassment and forced religious conversion.
Additional Sessions Judge V.V. Kathare rejected his plea for interim protection.
The Court noted that authorities had lodged at least eight criminal cases against Danish.
It also examined the FIR filed by Krushna Mane, who worked with Danish at the Nashik BPO.
The Court said the FIR prima facie showed deliberate acts intended to outrage the complainant’s religious feelings.
It further noted that the FIR referred to specific words allegedly used to wound Mane’s religious sentiments.
The Court said the allegations could not be viewed in isolation because Danish had serious criminal antecedents.
It also observed that the offence carried wider social repercussions and could affect law and order.
“It is evident that recitals of the FIR would clearly reveal that the applicant had indulged into activities and by his deliberate and malicious act intended to outrage religious feeling of the informant by insulting his religion and religious belief. The FIR further reveals uttering of the specific words by the applicant with the deliberate intent to wound religious feeling of the informant. The allegations made in the FIR cannot be looked into isolation, when there are serious criminal antecedent against the applicant. The offence charged is having wide social repercussions affecting law and order situation in the society,” the judge said.
Judge Kathare held that the investigation was still at a nascent stage.
The Court said interim protection at this stage could affect the progress of investigation.
On this ground, it refused to grant interim anticipatory bail.
against his religious beliefs because he is a Hindu.
Mane claimed that they praised the Muslim religion and challenged the validity and existence of his religious beliefs.
According to the FIR, their alleged acts outraged his religious feelings.
Mane also alleged that Danish and Tausif forced him to read the Quran and eat non-vegetarian food.
He further claimed that they tortured him by sending adverse reports against him to higher officials.
The FIR also alleged that Danish and Tausif insulted Mane in the presence of others.
Mane claimed that they threatened him with dire consequences.
The judge further noted that the FIR referred to sexually coloured remarks against women employees in the company.
The FIR also alleged that the accused caused sexual harassment at the workplace.
In the other case involving alleged workplace sexual harassment and forced religious conversion, police have arrested several accused.
The arrested persons include Danish Ejaz Sheikh, who faces allegations of luring a victim under a false promise of marriage and pressuring others into religious practices.
Police have also arrested Shafi Bikhan Sheikh and Raza Rafiq Memon. Memon is a team leader accused of intimidating staff and making obscene remarks about female colleagues.
The other arrested accused include Tausif Attar, Shahrukh Qureshi and Asif Aftab Ansari.
They are senior employees implicated in various FIRs for alleged stalking, harassment and forced religious conversion attempts.
Police have also arrested Ashwin Chainani, an Operations Manager of the POSH Committee.
He faces allegations of failing to address harassment complaints.
The only prime accused yet to be arrested is Nida Khan, the HR Head.
A court rejected her plea for ad-interim anticipatory bail on April 20.
