Just days after the forcible religious conversion case at the Nashik unit of the IT giant Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a similar complaint has come up against an NGO director based in Nagpur. According to reports, an FIR has been registered at Mankapur police station against Riyaz Fazil Qazi.
Qazi, who has been arrested, is accused of sexual abuse, religious coercion, and cyberstalking of several young women.
According to reports, the accused heads an NGO that works with underprivileged children. The complainant, a 23-year-old woman, alleged that Qazi summoned her to his cabin on July 18, 2024, on her birthday. She further said that he forcibly hugged and kissed her on her forehead and told her, "I don't want to leave you."
The FIR also states that the victim did not protest at the time because she feared losing her job. According to the victim, this was not a single incident but rather a continuous process of mental abuse. On several occasions, the accused even tried to forcibly embrace her. The complaint also states that the accused would turn off CCTV cameras before committing such acts.
Other employees have also filed a complaint against Qazi, alleging that he forced them to follow the religious practices of a certain community, which they refused. They allege that some girls had to leave their jobs due to this. “One girl who quit alleged that the accused called her mother, made derogatory remarks about other girls’ character, and advised her not to associate with them,” a senior police official said.
He is also accused of creating a fake Instagram account through which he monitored the activities of female employees working at the NGO.
The first victim also alleged that her sister had worked with the NGO earlier but was forced to recite prayers during work-related travel and wear certain types of clothing. The sister eventually resigned within two months, allegedly due to discomfort over the accused’s behaviour.