
The first chargesheet in the case of alleged sexual harassment and religious conversion involving Nashik TCS office makes a reference to former AIMIM MP Imtiaz Jaleel in the context of search for accused Nida Khan, while she was absconding . As per the charges... The first chargesheet in the case of alleged sexual harassment and religious conversion involving Nashik TCS office makes a reference to former AIMIM MP Imtiaz Jaleel in the context of search for accused Nida Khan, while she was “absconding”. As per the chargesheet, AIMIM corporator Matin Patel, booked for allegedly sheltering Nida, repeatedly referred to Jaleel when he was questioned about her whereabouts. On May 22, the Nashik police filed the 3,500-page chargesheet in the first of nine FIRs registered in connection with the case. The first FIR, registered at Deolali Camp Police Station, was filed under charges of rape, hurt to religious sentiments, as well as under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. It named TCS employees Danish Shaikh, Tausif Attar and Nida Khan, apart from Matin Patel. According to the chargesheet, the probe showed that Patel provided refuge to Nida despite knowing that her anticipatory bail plea had been rejected by a Nashik court. “While the search for accused Nida Ejaz Khan was in progress, it was revealed through confidential information and technical analysis that Matin Majid Patel had provided shelter to the accused to help her evade arrest,” the chargesheet states. The document says that when Patel was summoned to the Crime Branch office in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and questioned about Nida’s whereabouts, he repeatedly responded: “Imtiyaz Jalil Sahib ko poochna padega (We will have to ask Imtiaz Jaleel Sahib).” The chargesheet adds that after sustained questioning, Patel finally led police to where Nida and her family had allegedly been sheltered, and that in the raid in the Naregaon-Kausar CIDCO area of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nida, her parents, brother and aunt were found. Nida was taken into custody and handed over to the Nashik Police Special Investigation Team. Subsequently, the civic authorities demolished the house where Nida was allegedly found, along with two other properties linked to Matin Patel. One of the premises was later found to be owned by Hanif Khan, who said he had given it to Patel to use. Hanif too was later booked in the case and questioned by the Nashik police. So far, police have not issued any notice to Jaleel or sought to question him in the investigation. However, his mention in the chargesheet comes at a time when Shiv Sena minister Sanjay Shirsat has been alleging Jaleel’s role in what he calls “the corporate jihad case”, and claiming that AIMIM leaders helped Nida evade arrest. Last month, he called for the stringent MCOCA to be invoked against AIMIM leaders. Significantly, in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, previously known as Aurangabad, the AIMIM is the principal opposition in the municipal corporation. Jaleel has not denied meeting Nida’s family while she was said to be absconding. On April 21, he publicly stated that