Mumbai, April 10 – In a shocking case of molestation and sexual harassment at a tech firm in Nashik, Maharashtra, the city police have arrested the company's Human Resource (HR) official – the latest arrest in the case following the uncovering of an "organized racket" operating within the office for about three to four years.
The HR official, identified as Ashwini Ashok Chainani, was taken into custody from Pune's Loola Nagar after an initial investigation established that the victims' complaints were not acted upon, and he kept delaying addressing the issue.
A case has been registered under Crime Registration Number 163/2026, pursuant to Sections 75, 78, 79, 49, 356, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita.
The police are interrogating him regarding the blatant violation of female workers at the corporate office and for alleged inaction on their complaints.
The uncovering of the horrifying case of harassment of female employees at the tech office in Nashik, barely 200 kms from Mumbai, sent shockwaves through the police as well as the district administration.
Following complaints of sexual harassment and also "forced conversions," the police sprang into action and apprehended at least six accused. The HR person is the seventh person to be arrested, who is based in Pune.
Nine First Information Reports (FIRs) have been lodged at different police stations in the case, while six arrests have been made so far.
According to complainants, they were sexually harassed and threatened with dire consequences if they reported to the police, for about 3-4 years. They were also subjected to repeated bullying and religious slurs.
Due to the seriousness of the crime, the state administration has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to examine the complaints and launch a thorough probe into "harassment and conversion" complaints.
Most of the complainants are said to be in the age group of 18-25 and purportedly come from poor families. The accused exploited their poor background to the fullest and subjected them to constant harassment and making obscene advances, hoping that they wouldn't get questioned or caught.
Some of the victims lodged formal complaints with the company’s HR under the POSH Act - the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, but claimed that no action was taken.
The police arrested the HR official for allegedly suppressing ongoing harassment at the workplace and glossing over their complaints.