Nashik: The controversy surrounding alleged religious coercion at the Nashik office of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has intensified, with the father of one of the accused strongly denying all charges, even as serious allegations by employees continue to surface.

Bilal Fakir Mohammad Attar, father of the accused Tausif Attar, has claimed that his son has been falsely implicated in a pre-planned manner. “We are well-educated. I am a graduate, and my son has completed his BCA. Whatever is happening is wrong. It is not the fault of my son or any other child. All allegations against them are false,” he said, defending his son amid mounting scrutiny.

Meanwhile, allegations of religious coercion have emerged as the central issue in the case. A male employee has alleged that staff were forced to wear skullcaps, recite the Kalma and offer namaz as part of a pattern of workplace harassment. The complainant, who worked under Taushif Attar and Danish Sheikh, claimed that refusal to comply often resulted in intimidation, isolation, and excessive workload.

Describing his ordeal, the employee alleged a deeply hostile work environment where personal boundaries were routinely violated. he claimed that senior officials mocked employees’ personal lives. In a particularly disturbing allegation, he said he was asked to ‘send his wife’ to management while the couple was undergoing fertility treatment.

The case has widened with multiple complaints, including from women employees who alleged they were pressured to observe fasts during Ramzan, cover their heads, and, in some instances, were subjected to sexual exploitation. The complaints indicate that the accused group allegedly targeted young women employees between 18 and 25 years of age.

Police have so far registered at least nine FIRs in connection with the case, including one by a male employee citing religious harassment and attempted conversion. The FIRs detail allegations such as verbal abuse, coercion to consume non-vegetarian food, and insults directed at religious beliefs.

Eight individuals have been arrested so far, including Danish Sheikh, Tausif Attar, Raza Memon, Shahrukh Qureshi, Shafi Sheikh, Asif Aftab Ansar and Shahrukh Sheikh, along with one woman. Investigations are ongoing to establish the full extent of the alleged misconduct and determine accountability.

Thane: Police in Maharashtra’s Thane district have registered a case after a businessman alleged that veterinary raw material worth about Rs 45 lakh was pilfered from his consignment, an official said on Friday.

According to the complaint, the incident took place between January and April, during which unidentified persons allegedly stole Amprolium HCL, a veterinary raw material in powdered form.

A police official said that the businessman had dispatched a consignment to a company in Dehradun in January through a transporter from Bhiwandi in Thane district.

During transit, someone allegedly stole 41 drums of the material, weighing around 1,025 kg, and replaced them with fake substances of similar appearance.

The matter came to light when the receiver informed the supplier regarding discrepancies in the consignment.

The value of the stolen material has been estimated at Rs 44.85 lakh, police said, adding that a probe into the matter was underway.

Mumbai: The city woke up to clear blue skies and gentle winds on Friday morning, offering a refreshing start after fluctuating weather conditions in recent weeks. The early morning temperature was recorded at 26°C, while air quality levels showed noticeable improvement across several parts of the city.

According to the India Meteorological Department, Mumbai is expected to experience hot and humid conditions through the day, with temperatures likely to range between 25°C and 35°C. While no heatwave warning has been issued, rising humidity levels during the afternoon could lead to discomfort for residents.

Air quality data reflected encouraging signs, with the city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) standing at 65 in the early hours, placing it in the ‘moderate’ category. This marks a major improvement compared to recent months and follows exceptionally clean air readings earlier this month, when AQI levels dropped to as low as 31 and even 21 overall in some parts of the city.

The improvement is largely due to the enforcement measures undertaken by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The civic body intensified action against construction sites violating pollution control norms, targeting both private and public infrastructure projects. The drive focused on curbing dust emissions, which remain one of the primary contributors to Mumbai’s air pollution.

However, the improvement in air quality has not been uniform across all areas. Areas such as Bandra West and Vikhroli emerged as pollution hotspots, recording AQI levels of 263 and 250, respectively, categorised as ‘unhealthy’. Other areas, including Dharavi (98), Wadala (90), and Dahisar (83) fell within the ‘moderate’ range, indicating that concerns persist in certain areas of the city.

Meanwhile, several areas reported significantly cleaner air. Kandivali East recorded an AQI of just 12, placing it in the ‘good’ category, while Dadar Parsi Colony reported a level of 20. Areas like Gamdevi and Tardeo also maintained ‘good’ air quality, with AQI readings of 33 and 37, respectively.

As per standard AQI classifications, values between 0 and 50 are considered ‘good’, 51 to 100 ‘moderate’, 101 to 200 ‘poor’, 201 to 300 ‘unhealthy’, and levels above 300 are categorised as ‘severe’.