TCS Nashik Case: ‘Intoxicating’ Sheer Khurma, Face ID Hurdle Add Twist to Expanding Probe

Investigation at Nashik TCS unit centers on an employee allegedly drugged with sheer khurma and pressured into religious practices. Police unlocked a key suspect's phone using their Face ID under a court order, seeking crucial digital evidence. The probe has widened to include workplace harassment claims from female employees, leading to 7 arrests.

The investigation into the high-profile case at the Nashik unit of Tata Consultancy Services has taken a new turn, with police now focusing on two unusual pieces of evidence — an allegedly intoxicating bowl of sheer khurma and a mobile phone that could only be accessed through Face ID.

According to investigators, a male employee claimed he felt “heavily intoxicated and disoriented” after consuming sheer khurma served at the home of one of the accused during Eid celebrations. Police believe the dessert may have been laced with a substance that left the employee vulnerable before he was allegedly pressured into religious practices against his will.

The complainant told police that after consuming the dessert, he was persuaded to wear religious attire and was filmed. Investigators say one of the key pieces of evidence is a photograph of the employee in that attire, which was allegedly shared in a private messaging group linked to the office. Authorities are also tracing the shop where the religious cap seen in the images was purchased and trying to recover a vehicle allegedly used to transport the complainant to multiple locations.

A second major breakthrough came when police gained access to a suspect’s mobile phone after days of technical difficulty. Investigators said the device had multiple security layers, with individual applications and files protected by separate passwords along with biometric authentication.

Because the phone could not be unlocked through conventional forensic methods, the Special Investigation Team obtained a court order allowing officers to escort the accused to the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory. There, investigators used the suspect’s own facial scan to unlock the device.

Police believe the phone may contain encrypted chats, digital records and communications that could help establish whether the alleged acts were isolated or part of a larger pattern.

The broader case has already expanded beyond the initial complaint. Several women employees have also come forward with allegations of workplace harassment and coercion, leading to multiple FIRs and arrests. Authorities say the probe now includes digital evidence, financial links and possible coordination among the accused.

So far, seven employees have been arrested and suspended by TCS. Four of the accused remain in police custody as investigators continue to examine physical evidence and electronic records.

With both forensic and testimonial evidence now under scrutiny, the sheer khurma claim and the Face ID phone unlock could become central to understanding what police describe as one of the most disturbing workplace investigations in recent months.