Undercover operation unearths dirty acts

Mumbai: In a chilling revelation that has sent shockwaves through the corporate sector, the Nashik Police have busted a highly organised racket operating within a reputed multinational IT company, where young female graduates were systematically targeted for sexual exploitation, molestation, and forced religious conversion. The police have concluded that this was a meticulously planned conspiracy driven by a radical mindset, which was ultimately unmasked through an exceptionally daring and undercover operation.

The modus operandi of the perpetrators was both sophisticated and insidious. Unemployed young women were lured into joining the company with the promise of attractive salaries. Once employed, they were placed under constant surveillance by specific team leaders who operated the floor like a call center at the company’s premises near Wadala village, a Muslim dominated area of Nashik city.

The perpetrators executed their plans with systematic precision, beginning by winning the trust of their targets. Male suspects, often hiding their marital status to appear single, would flatter the women, flirt with them, and invite them out for meals. Leveraging their professional positions, they would oblige the victims by offering them preferred transfers or leaves, constantly reminding them that they owed their jobs to these men.

Woman Suspect

The conspiracy was not limited to men alone; some female employees were equally complicit. These female accomplices would build a rapport with Hindu girls, subtly introducing them to specific religious ideologies. They would manipulate the victims by suggesting that certain traditional religious attire would look beautiful on them and urge them to try it. To streamline their dark operations, the accused had created secret WhatsApp groups. One group was used exclusively by the perpetrators to discuss company politics and identify their “next targets,” while separate, isolated WhatsApp groups were created for the trapped women to systematically brainwash them.

Those who resisted these advances or refused to yield to the religious grooming were subjected to severe mental harassment, forcing many to silently resign and leave the company. The horrifying extent of the exploitation was highlighted by an incident where a victim was taken to a resort on a holiday and sexually assaulted. The toxic environment also affected a young male employee who was mentally tortured and pressured to convert through objectionable religious remarks made at the workplace. Furthermore, the sheer impunity of the racket was exposed when a Hindu girl and a suspect were caught in an objectionable position on the company terrace. Despite the entire episode being captured on CCTV, senior colleagues intervened and suppressed the matter.

Changed Behaviour

The unravelling of this sinister web began in the home of a middle-class family in Nashik. Their daughter, a modern young woman who had joined the company in July 2022, started exhibiting drastic and inexplicable behavioural changes.

She began observing month-long religious fasts and deliberately avoided eating meals with her Hindu friends.

Police pose as employees

The police maintained absolute secrecy and launched a special undercover operation. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed, and under the leadership of senior women police officers, a squad of seven female personnel was deployed. Concealing their true identities, these women successfully secured jobs within the same IT company. For eight days, they worked on the floor, observing the daily operations and keeping a close watch on the suspects. During meetings, the undercover officers witnessed first-hand the obscene gestures, inappropriate behaviour, and immense psychological pressure exerted on the female employees. To fortify their case, the police also analysed footage from over forty CCTV cameras, gathering irrefutable technical evidence.

Armed with an unbroken chain of evidence, the police raided the company and apprehended the culprits.

Nine FIRs have been registered so far, based on complaints from six unmarried women, two married women, and one male employee. Currently, six suspects have been arrested, with five remanded to police custody and one to judicial custody, while a search is underway for an absconding female accused. Assistant Commissioner of Police Sandeep Mitke stated that the seizure of the suspects’ mobile phones has revealed shocking technical evidence.