Mumbai: The special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) court has rejected the bail pleas of NESCO staff and MBA students in the drug overdose deaths case. In its detailed order, the court observed that “greed for money turned a place of amusement into a graveyard for two persons”.

The court on Thursday refused bail to Raunak Khandelwal, a final-year MBA student, and Pratik Pandey, a second-year MBA student. Additionally, the court denied relief to Sunny Jain, a senior manager, and Balkrishnan Kurup, business head and vice president of live events and IP at NESCO.

The case pertains to an incident on April 11, where two MBA students died and several others were hospitalised following a suspected MDMA (ecstasy) overdose at a techno music concert held at NESCO Goregaon.

The court noted that the organiser allowed attendees to consume liquor despite being directed to ensure no narcotic drugs or alcohol were permitted at the event. The court described the incident as an example of poor management.

“It may be intentional, negligent and/or an act done under the greed of money. However, such an act has turned into a tragedy, ultimately the place of amusement becoming the graveyard of two persons. Thus, the organisers are primafacie responsible for negligence and mishap occurred in the event,” the court said.

Regarding the students, the court observed they are accused of bringing and distributing contraband among college friends. In the case of Khandelwal, the court stated that the supply of a yellow ecstasy tablet to a victim was sufficient to infer involvement in the crime, regardless of the specific weight found on his person. The court noted that investigators recovered 435gm of MDMA from Ayush Sahitya, making it hasty to categorise the recovery as a small quantity.

While denying bail to Pandey, the court remarked that the applicant tried to encash the chaotic conditions caused by mismanagement to sell contraband. The court further noted the submission of the prosecution that if released, the applicant might dissuade friends from disclosing facts to the investigating officer.

Mumbai, May 8: Nida Khan, one of the main accused in the alleged religious conversion and harassment case linked to the Nashik office of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), was arrested by Maharashtra Police after evading authorities for days.

According to officials, Khan was apprehended on Thursday from a residential apartment in Kaiser Colony located in the Naregaon area of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. She had reportedly been staying there with her parents, brother, and aunt for the past few days. Police teams had been monitoring the location for nearly two days before carrying out the operation.

The arrest was conducted jointly by the Nashik Special Investigation Team (SIT), the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Police Commissionerate, and the Crime Branch. Investigators said a dedicated team had been formed under the supervision of senior officers because of the seriousness and sensitivity of the case.

Police officials stated that Khan was traced using technical surveillance and intelligence-based inputs. After being detained following legal formalities, she was produced before a Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar for transit remand proceedings. She was later taken to Nashik for further interrogation and legal action.

In a statement, the SIT confirmed that Khan was wanted in connection with a case registered at Devlali Camp Police Station under Crime Register No. 156/26. Officials said the arrest was made under provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

According to police sources, an investigation into various facets of the case is ongoing, and additional relevant information is being gathered through the interrogation of the accused. Should the involvement of any other individuals come to light during this investigation, appropriate action will be initiated against them as per the law.

According to NDTV, Khan had earlier approached a Nashik court seeking anticipatory bail and temporary protection from arrest, citing that she was two months pregnant. However, the court reportedly refused to grant interim relief.

The controversy emerged after a woman employee working at the TCS office in Nashik lodged a complaint against her colleague, Danish Sheikh. The complainant alleged that Sheikh entered into a physical relationship with her after promising marriage, despite already being married to another woman.

Police documents state that Nida Khan, who is Danish Sheikh’s sister, allegedly made offensive remarks about the complainant’s religion and pressured her to convert to her faith. Investigators further claimed that Khan and another accused, Tausif Akhtar, concealed Sheikh’s marital status from the complainant.

As the probe progressed, several more women reportedly came forward with allegations of harassment against senior employees at the Nashik branch. The women claimed they faced mental and sexual harassment between February 2022 and March 2026, while their complaints were allegedly ignored by the human resources department.

So far, police have arrested seven individuals in connection with the case.

After the matter came to light, TCS released an official statement on X — clarifying that Nida Khan is neither an HR manager nor has been responsible for recruitment. She was serving as a process associate and did not hold any leadership responsibilities.

The IT giant also said that it had not received any complaints through its internal channels on the matter.

Navi Mumbai: Panvel City police have registered a case against a 34-year-old man for allegedly sexually assaulting his 15-year-old stepdaughter over two years in Panvel. The accused has been booked under rape charges and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Police said the minor was living with her mother and stepfather in Panvel. The abuse began in August 2024 when the accused allegedly assaulted her while she was alone at home. He reportedly threatened to kill her if she told anyone, causing her to stay silent for two years.

The case came to light after the accused was arrested on April 15 in a separate assault case involving a fight with neighbors. While in judicial custody at Taloja jail, the victim disclosed the abuse to her mother, leading to a formal complaint at Panvel City police station.

Based on the complaint, police registered a case against the accused under sections 64(1) and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and sections 4 and 6 of the POCSO Act.

Assistant Police Inspector Rajendra Ghevdekar is investigating the case under the guidance of Senior Police Inspector Nitin Thakare. The accused remains in judicial custody, and further legal proceedings are underway.