Several women employees at the TCS office in Nashik have alleged that they were sexually harassed and coerced into religious conversion. We bring you details about the ‘grooming’ scandal and more our weekly roundup
It’s been a week highlighted by a corporate scandal and big political shake-ups. In a case that has sent shockwaves across India, a group of men – managers and engineers – from a Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) facility in Nashik were arrested over allegations of sexual abuse and religious conversions. The accused targeted women employees, aged 18 to 25, and the incidents occurred since 2022.
The matter first came to light in March, when a woman working at TCS filed a complaint alleging that a colleague had maintained a physical relationship with her by promising marriage. The case continues to unravel, with reports pointing to the involvement of another woman employee, Nida Khan. We have been tracking this story closely.
In political news, the government failed to usher in changes to governance. The Parliament’s special Budget session reconvened on Thursday (April 16) to decide on landmark Constitutional changes that would transform the democracy. Three historic bills to implement a 33 per cent women’s quota in the legislature, delimitation, and increase the number of seats for Union Territories were tabled in Parliament. However, the 131st Constitution Amendment Bill failed to pass the Lok Sabha test, and two other bills were dropped.
The other big news came from Bihar. Nitish Kumar resigned as chief minister after 20 years at the helm. He is set to move to the Rajya Sabha. The state now has a new CM, the first from the BJP – Samrat Choudhary.
We talk about all this and more in our weekly wrap about stories from India.
1. It’s one of the biggest corporate controversies in recent times in India. At the centre of it is a TCS Nashik facility. Several women employees have alleged that they were
sexually assaulted and coerced into religious conversion.
Nine FIRs have been filed, where the victims have complained of stalking, groping and forced conversion. The police have arrested eight employees, including seven men and a female operations manager.
Nida Khan, who is said to be one of the masterminds, has applied for anticipatory bail. Our stories tell you all that has happened.
2. The sexual harassment at the TCS Nashik office continued for years. Complaints by women employees were reportedly dismissed. However, the firm claims no internal complaints were received. The case has put the spotlight on POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) guidelines. But
what is this 2013 law to stop sexual harassment at the workplace? We explain.
3. Amid the ‘grooming’ row at TCS, there were rumours about Tech Mahindra. A viral social media post alleged that the firm had declared its office pantry a “footwear-free zone” during Ramzan for prayers and iftar at its Mumbai office. The authenticity of these messages could not be verified, and
the company has denied the claims of bias.
4. The delimitation exercise was expected to pave the way for increasing the quota for women representatives in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for the 2029 general elections. Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam Amendment Bill was introduced during the ongoing special sitting in the extended Budget session on Thursday (April 16). It looked to implement 33 per cent reservation – 272 out of 850 seats – for women. However,
the bill failed in the Lok Sabha.
We explain why this bill was important.
5. A workers’ protest in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida took an ugly turn on Monday, as demonstrators took to violence. The factory employees had gathered to demand salary revisions, but tensions escalated as they clashed with the police. Ongoing investigation into the stir pointed to interference by “outsiders”. Now, the Noida Police have said that the protests were orchestrated and have linked the
incitement to two Pakistan-operated X accounts.
6. A big change has come to Bihar. Nitish Kumar, who has dominated politics in the state for more than 50 years, quit as chief minister, as he has his eyes set on the Rajya Sabha. Replacing him is Samrat Choudhary. The 57-year-old is the BJP’s first CM in Bihar.
But who is Choudhary, and why has he chosen to fill in the big shoes of Nitish Kumar?
7. India lost legendary singer, Asha Bhosle, on Sunday (April 12). The “Queen of Indipop” died at the age of 92 after a chest infection. Bhosle was one of India’s richest women playback singers. Over the decades, she built a fortune through real estate investments and a restaurant business.
This story tells you more.
8. Our last story is about a holiday that wasn’t. A family of eight from Tamil Nadu spent close to Rs 49 lakh on business-class tickets from Bengaluru to Peru. However, they were not allowed to board the flight run by the Dutch airline, KLM. Now, a Karnataka court has ordered an FIR against the company’s top brass.
Here is what happened.
That’s our recommendation list of the stories from India. If you like the way we break down the news, you can find more such
explainers here.
First Published:
April 18, 2026, 10:10 IST
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