A court in Nashik has granted bail to TCS employee Nida Khan, observing that the trauma of giving birth in prison is unbearable for any woman and that the welfare of the unborn child deserved judicial consideration. The court’s remarks came while deciding Khan’s bail plea in one of the cases linked to the ongoing investigation into allegations involving sexual exploitation, religious coercion and workplace misconduct at the Tata Consultancy Services unit in Nashik.
Additional Sessions Judge KG Joshi granted bail to Khan after noting that she is around five months pregnant. In the order, made available on July 9, the court observed that keeping her in custody served little purpose because the investigation had concluded and the charge sheet had already been filed.
The court remarked that the trauma associated with giving birth in prison, would place an unbearable burden on a woman. The order stated that exercising judicial discretion in favour of the accused would serve the welfare of the newborn child.
The court recorded observations made during the investigation regarding Khan’s alleged role. The investigation suggested that Khan, along with a co-accused, allegedly attempted to influence the complainant’s ideological views and religion. Khan’s counsel maintained that she is innocent and has been falsely implicated.
The court granted bail on a personal bond of Rs 75,000 along with one solvent surety of the same amount.