Nida Khan, prime accused of Nashik TSC conversion racket arrested from Chh Sambhajinagar; here's why her anticipatory bail was rejected
Nida Khan was booked at Deolali Police Station under Sections 69, 75, 299, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with multiple provisions of the SC/ST Act.
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On May 8th, Friday, Nida Khan, prime accused of the Nashik TCS conversion racket, was arrested by the Nashik Police from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district of Maharashtra. Nashik city police commissioner, Sandeep Karnik, and assistant police commissioner (crime) Sandeep Mitke confirmed Nida’s arrest. “The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Nashik city police and the Sambhajinagar city police had launched a joint operation to nab Nida,” said Karnik.
Police sources said Nida will be brought to Nashik city and produced in the local court on Friday. The police tracked her down on Thursday evening, May 7th, and officially arrested her this morning.
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On May 2, a Nashik court rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Nida and observed that the material collected during the investigation prima facie indicated her involvement in a larger and organised attempt to influence the victim, hurt her religious sentiments, and pressure her towards religious conversion. The court further stated that the case was not fit for granting pre-arrest protection and noted that her custodial interrogation was necessary to uncover the full extent of the matter.
The order was passed by Additional Sessions and Special Judge KG Joshi of the Nashik Road Court.
Nida Khan’s counsel further contended that Maharashtra does not have a specific law governing religious conversion. He argued that Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertains to acts intended to outrage the religious feelings of a community and does not deal with conversion. The defence also maintained that ordinary conversations about religion cannot be criminalised and asserted that, at most, only a bailable offence could be invoked in the matter.
However, her anticipatory bail plea was strongly opposed by the prosecution, which informed the court that between July 2023 and 2026, the accused persons, including Nida Khan, allegedly influenced the victim towards religious conversion. The prosecution further argued that Nida Khan had hurt the victim’s religious sentiments. It also pointed out that the FIR specifically mentioned Nida Khan’s name and role, while the investigation had revealed indications of a conspiracy involving communication among the accused persons.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the court distinguished between the roles allegedly played by the co-accused and that of Nida Khan. The judge observed that the other two accused were prima facie linked to offences under Sections 69 and 75 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), whereas Nida Khan appeared to be prima facie involved in offences under Section 299 of the BNS along with provisions of the SC/ST Act.
The judge noted that the FIR specifically named the applicant and assigned her a role in the case. The court observed that the accused allegedly made “objectionable stories” about Hindu deities, hurting the victim’s religious sentiments. The order further stated that the applicant gave the victim a burqa, provided her with the book “The Holy Life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH),” and visited her home to impart religious teachings.
The court observed that the interactions between the victim and Nida Khan regarding religion were not casual in nature, but appeared to be part of a structured and organised effort targeting the victim. The judge described the alleged offence as “multi-dimensional and multi-layered.”
The court also took note of material suggesting that the accused intended to change the victim’s name and send her to Malaysia. While acknowledging that the victim has a constitutional right to choose any religion or name, the judge stated that such choices cannot be the result of organised brainwashing or coercive influence.
The court observed that police custody was necessary for proper investigation. Following this the police began a search operation and arrested the accused Islamist woman from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district of Maharashtra.
Police sources said Nida will be brought to Nashik city and produced in the local court on Friday. The police tracked her down on Thursday evening, May 7th, and officially arrested her this morning.
Nida Khan was booked at Deolali Police Station under Sections 69, 75, 299, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with multiple provisions of the SC/ST Act for brainwashing the victim Hindu employees working in TCS and forcing them to adopt Islamic practices.
As per the exclusive information obtained by Newsbharati, the police had been looking for Nida for the past 42 days. However, her arrest came after the Nashik court rejected her anticipatory bail, saying that custodial interrogation was necessary in the case.
Nashik Court rejected her anticipatory bail
On May 2, a Nashik court rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Nida and observed that the material collected during the investigation prima facie indicated her involvement in a larger and organised attempt to influence the victim, hurt her religious sentiments, and pressure her towards religious conversion. The court further stated that the case was not fit for granting pre-arrest protection and noted that her custodial interrogation was necessary to uncover the full extent of the matter.
The order was passed by Additional Sessions and Special Judge KG Joshi of the Nashik Road Court.
The defence argued that Nida and the victim were colleagues who worked in the same office and were known to each other. However, it strongly denied all allegations against her, claiming that she had been falsely implicated in the case. According to the defence, the primary accusations were directed at co-accused Danish and Tausif, and not at Nida. It was also argued that there was no substantive evidence to establish that she had engaged in caste-based humiliation in public view.
Nida Khan’s counsel further contended that Maharashtra does not have a specific law governing religious conversion. He argued that Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertains to acts intended to outrage the religious feelings of a community and does not deal with conversion. The defence also maintained that ordinary conversations about religion cannot be criminalised and asserted that, at most, only a bailable offence could be invoked in the matter.
The defence further argued that Nida was pregnant and claimed that the arrest would cause irreparable loss to the unborn child.
Prosecution stated that Nida brainwashed Hindu victim employees
However, her anticipatory bail plea was strongly opposed by the prosecution, which informed the court that between July 2023 and 2026, the accused persons, including Nida Khan, allegedly influenced the victim towards religious conversion. The prosecution further argued that Nida Khan had hurt the victim’s religious sentiments. It also pointed out that the FIR specifically mentioned Nida Khan’s name and role, while the investigation had revealed indications of a conspiracy involving communication among the accused persons.
The prosecution told the court that Nida Khan was not merely a passive observer in the matter. According to the prosecution, she regularly spoke to the victim during office breaks, attempted to brainwash her into converting to Islam, and played an active role in pressuring her to follow certain religious practices. The prosecution also relied on the statements recorded from the victim, her mother, and her brother.
The investigating officer informed the court that Khan had allegedly given the victim a burqa and books related to Islam. An application installed on the victim’s phone was also found, which the prosecution claimed was intended to facilitate religious conversion. The officer further stated that Nida Khan had shared YouTube and Instagram links containing religious teachings with the victim. According to the investigation, further inquiry was required to trace the source of those materials and examine her broader connections in the case.
Court declared her prime accused under 299/BNS
After hearing arguments from both sides, the court distinguished between the roles allegedly played by the co-accused and that of Nida Khan. The judge observed that the other two accused were prima facie linked to offences under Sections 69 and 75 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), whereas Nida Khan appeared to be prima facie involved in offences under Section 299 of the BNS along with provisions of the SC/ST Act.
The judge noted that the FIR specifically named the applicant and assigned her a role in the case. The court observed that the accused allegedly made “objectionable stories” about Hindu deities, hurting the victim’s religious sentiments. The order further stated that the applicant gave the victim a burqa, provided her with the book “The Holy Life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH),” and visited her home to impart religious teachings.
The court observed that the interactions between the victim and Nida Khan regarding religion were not casual in nature, but appeared to be part of a structured and organised effort targeting the victim. The judge described the alleged offence as “multi-dimensional and multi-layered.”
The court also took note of material suggesting that the accused intended to change the victim’s name and send her to Malaysia. While acknowledging that the victim has a constitutional right to choose any religion or name, the judge stated that such choices cannot be the result of organised brainwashing or coercive influence.
The court observed that police custody was necessary for proper investigation. Following this the police began a search operation and arrested the accused Islamist woman from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district of Maharashtra.