Mumbai, April 10 (NationPress) In a disturbing incident of sexual harassment and molestation within a tech company in Nashik, Maharashtra, local police have arrested the firm’s Human Resource (HR) official. This arrest follows the discovery of an organized racket operating in the workplace for approximately three to four years.

The HR official, named Ashwini Ashok Chainani, was apprehended in Pune’s Loola Nagar after initial inquiries revealed that he failed to address the victims' complaints, continuously delaying necessary actions.

A formal case has been initiated under Crime Registration Number 163/2026, referencing Sections 75, 78, 79, 49, 356, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita.

Law enforcement is currently interrogating him concerning the blatant violations against female employees at the corporate headquarters and his alleged negligence in responding to their grievances.

The revelation of this appalling situation involving harassment of women at the Nashik tech firm, located just 200 kilometers from Mumbai, has caused considerable alarm among local law enforcement and district officials.

In response to the complaints of sexual harassment and ‘forced conversions,’ police swiftly acted, detaining at least six individuals connected to the case. The HR official is the seventh person arrested, operating out of Pune.

Nine First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered across various police stations regarding this matter, with six individuals already taken into custody.

Victims report enduring sexual harassment and threats of severe repercussions should they approach the police for the past three to four years. They also faced persistent bullying and derogatory religious remarks.

Given the seriousness of the accusations, the state government has established a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to thoroughly investigate the allegations of 'harassment and conversion.'

Most complainants are reportedly aged between 18-25 and come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The accused exploited their vulnerabilities, subjecting them to relentless harassment and indecent advances, banking on the assumption that they would not challenge or expose their actions.

Some victims filed 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 have detained the HR official for allegedly suppressing ongoing harassment at the workplace and neglecting to address the complaints lodged.