Nida Khan, who has been accused in a case of alleged sexual exploitation and forcible conversion at the Tata Consultancy Services office in Nashik, was remanded to police custody till May 11 by a Nashik court on Friday (May 8, 2026). Ms. Khan was earlier arrested by the Nashik police in a joint operation with the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Police.

The police have also booked an AIMIM (All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen) corporator from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on the charges of allegedly harbouring Ms. Khan while she absconded from the law.

The latest developments in the TCS case have led to a war of words between AIMIM leader Imtiyaz Jaleel and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Guardian Minister Sanjay Shirsat of the Shiv Sena.

AIMIM role

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that it was clear that the AIMIM corporator had helped Ms. Khan hide from the police. “We will find out who was behind it. Another question is, was he involved in the conversion racket? Are they helping it? We will find it out,” he said.

The Nashik court allowed Ms. Khan to meet her mother twice a day while in police custody, on the grounds of her early pregnancy.

“Nida Khan was absconding after the court had rejected her anticipatory bail application. Information about her whereabouts was gathered through intelligence. Plain clothes police personnel were sent to pick her up in a swift action. She was thereafter produced before a Judicial Magistrate to seek transit remand to be brought to Nashik. She was in Naregaon, where she was harboured by AIMIM corporator Mateen Majid Patel,” a police officer said.

Malaysia link

The prosecution told the court that they needed to question Ms. Khan about whether she had been given any financial aid for carrying out the alleged crime, and whether she had promised to send the victim to Malaysia, to find a job with a man named Imran. It accused Ms. Khan of going to the victim’s residence to give her religious lessons and to teach her the religious practices of Islam.

The prosecution also argued that the police wanted to find out how the accused got to know the victim, how she allegedly pressurised her and her family members, how she allegedly hurt the victim’s religious feelings, and how she allegedly changed the name of the victim to ‘Haniya’. Police case diaries were presented to the court during the in-camera hearing.

The police also said that they needed to conduct a chemical analysis of Ms. Khan’s phone as the accused had allegedly used the device to send YouTube links, Instagram links, and reels regarding religious conversion to others.

War of words

Meanwhile, Mr. Shirsat demanded that AIMIM leader Mr. Jaleel be quizzed about any possible association with Ms. Khan.

“AIMIM is trying to encourage religious conversions and cheat girls. Nida Khan is merely a pawn, but they have a network across Maharashtra. I will request the Chief Minister to order an inquiry through the SIT to expose the mastermind. We don’t know where Khan was all these days, but she was held in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. She was hiding in a slum where illegal activities take place. AIMIM supported her. Jaleel and his aides should be investigated,” Mr. Shirsat said.

Mr. Jaleel hit back, asking Mr. Shirsat whether he was the police. “Are the police now going to question me through a Guardian Minister? Is the Guardian Minister wearing a police uniform and behaving like the police and the court?” he asked, adding that Ms. Khan was being treated like a terrorist.

“There is no look-out notice or non-bailable case against her. Had she been involved in any terror activities, the police might have done this. The FIR says there are allegations of spreading communal hatred and hurting religious sentiments. But she is being treated as if she has killed many people or was involved in terror activities,” he said.