The Maharashtra Police has arrested All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen corporator Matin Patel for not responding to summonses issued by a court in connection with a sexual harassment case at the Tata Consultancy Services in Nashik, The Indian Express reported.

Patel was held after the court issued a non-bailable warrant against him for skipping two summonses.

The corporator has been named in the chargesheet for allegedly providing refuge to Nida Khan, the main accused in the case, despite knowing that her anticipatory bail plea had been rejected.

While the police were searching for Khan in April and May, “it was revealed through confidential information and technical analysis” that Patel had provided her shelter to help her evade arrest, The Indian Express cited the chargesheet as having alleged.

Khan was arrested on May 7 from a bungalow in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar’s Naregaon area that was owned by Patel.

She was held more than 40 days after being named in a first information report for allegedly hurting religious sentiments.

The case

The complainant in the sexual harassment case, a 23-year-old woman, alleged that Khan taught her to recite the kalma – the Islamic declaration of faith – observe the roza fast and change her dressing behaviour.

As the complainant is a member of the Scheduled Caste community, Khan has also been booked under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act.

The police have alleged that Khan, along with two others named Danish Sheikh and Tausif Attar, had made derogatory remarks about Hindu deities.

They also alleged that while Sheikh sexually assaulted the complainant on the pretext of marriage, Attar molested her by seeking sexual favours and threatening to reveal to her family that she had physical relations at the workplace.

Between March 26 and April 3, the Nashik Police filed nine cases against eight Tata Consultancy Services employees for allegedly sexually harassing nine persons and hurting religious sentiments. The other seven TCS employees have also been arrested.

After the matter came to light, TCS suspended all the employees accused of involvement in the case and launched an internal inquiry.

Patel’s properties demolished

On May 13, the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation demolished allegedly illegal constructions at two properties linked to Patel, including the house where Khan had been allegedly sheltered.

The civic body had said at the time that it had issued notices to Patel over the alleged unauthorised constructions at his residence and an office in the same locality.

There are no provisions in Indian law that allow for the demolition of property as a punitive measure. However, the practice has become commonplace in states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

In November 2024, the Supreme Court held as illegal the practice of demolishing properties of persons accused of crimes as a punitive measure.

Edited by Neerad Pandharipande.

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