Court Grants Bail to TCS Staffer Nida Khan on Pregnancy Grounds

A local court has granted bail to former Tata Consultancy Services employee Nida Khan, who was arrested in connection with sexual harassment and alleged religious conversion cases linked to the company’s Nashik unit. Khan, who is five months pregnant, was granted relief on July 6 after the court observed that the trauma and social stigma of giving birth while in prison would be unbearable for any woman.

Additional Sessions Judge KG Joshi of the Nashik Road court said it would be appropriate to exercise judicial discretion in favour of Khan considering her pregnancy and the welfare of her unborn child. In the order, which became available on Thursday, the judge compared the circumstances of childbirth in prison to the birth of Lord Krishna and said such an agonising situation should be avoided.

The court said granting bail would serve the overall welfare of the newborn baby and noted that keeping Khan in custody would serve no further purpose at this stage of the case. The investigation has been completed and a charge sheet has already been filed, reducing the need for her continued detention while the legal proceedings remain pending.

Also Read: Sexual Harassment Allegation Leads to Public Confrontation and Communal Tensions in Himachal Town

Khan was arrested on May 7 from a rented flat in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in central Maharashtra after allegedly remaining on the run for nearly 25 days. She had sought bail primarily on the ground of her pregnancy. Khan was earlier terminated by Tata Consultancy Services after being named in cases involving allegations of sexual harassment and religious conversion at the company’s Nashik unit.

The prosecution opposed the bail applications filed by Khan and co-accused Danish Shaikh. Public prosecutor Vijay Gaikwad, along with lawyers Milind Kurkute and Nitin Pandit, who appeared on behalf of one of the alleged victims, argued that the investigation had uncovered sufficient evidence related to allegations of sexual assault and religious coercion.

The court, however, considered Khan’s pregnancy, the completion of the investigation and the filing of the charge sheet while deciding her bail application. The order grants her release from custody as the criminal case continues through the judicial process. The allegations against the accused remain subject to examination by the court, and the grant of bail does not amount to a determination of guilt or innocence.

Also Read: China Shoe Factory Fire Kills 28, Dramatic Rescue Operation Follows Devastating Blaze