Months after the TCS Nashik controversy triggered a nationwide debate over allegations of workplace exploitation and religious targeting, another major IT company has found itself at the centre of a similar storm. A former employee of Wipro Technologies has come forward with allegations of workplace harassment, religious discrimination, sexual misconduct and coercive pressure to resign, claiming that her repeated complaints were ignored by company authorities.
The allegations were made public during a press conference organised by Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) at Shramik Patrakar Bhavan in Pune. The former employee, has filed a formal complaint at Hinjawadi Police Station and served a legal notice upon Wipro Technologies seeking reinstatement, compensation and action against those she alleges were responsible for her ordeal.
What the complaint letter says?
According to her complaint, the woman joined Wipro Limited on May 23, 2019, and worked until August 29, 2025, at the company’s Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park campus in Hinjawadi Phase-II, Pune.
A highly qualified engineer, she was appointed as a Project Manager and assigned to a Dubai-based project. The project was headed by Country Head Ram Kumar, while Wasim Muskar served as Account Delivery Head and Hemant Patole functioned as Operations Head.
Her responsibilities included coordinating project teams, managing operations and resolving issues faced by employees working across locations.
The woman alleged that her interaction with a Quality Assurance employee named Shahina Rafik initially began as a professional relationship. Shahina, who was based at Wipro’s Bengaluru office, regularly interacted with her on project-related matters.
However, according to the complaint, the relationship gradually moved beyond professional boundaries.
She stated that Shahina obtained her personal mobile number and began calling her frequently outside office hours. Since the victim was living alone due to an ongoing family court dispute with her husband, Shahina used this personal information to initiate increasingly intrusive conversations.
The complaint states that Shahina would ask intimate and uncomfortable questions, including: “How do you satisfy your sexual needs while living alone?”
The complaint letter says, “She also began demanding my photographs on WhatsApp and commenting, “You look so beautiful”, “How many good dates do you have? I have many friends, I will introduce you to them. After that, you should have a physical relationship with the project Country Head.”
According to her, Shahina repeatedly encouraged her to enter into relationships with Muslim men and even offered to introduce her to male acquaintances.
She further alleged that Shahina would ask her to send photographs on WhatsApp, commenting on her appearance and discussing her personal life in a manner she found inappropriate and disturbing.
‘Accept Islam, Marry a Sheikh, move to Dubai’
One of the most serious allegations in the complaint concerns repeated conversations about religion and marriage.
According to the victim, Shahina attempted to persuade her to abandon Hinduism and embrace Islam by portraying it as a pathway to a more prosperous life.
The complaint records that Shahina repeatedly told her: “Those Sheikh people have many contacts. If you accept the Muslim religion, I will get you married to one of them. You will remain very happy and earn a lot.”
The victim alleged that she was encouraged to establish physical relations with a Muslim man, relocate to Dubai and eventually marry into a wealthy Muslim family.
The former employee claims these suggestions were made repeatedly despite her objections and discomfort.
‘Systematic mental pressure was exerted….’
Speaking at the press conference, the victim alleged that the pressure was not isolated or occasional.
“While working at the company, immense and systematic mental pressure was exerted on me to embrace Islam and establish physical relations with a Muslim man. When I firmly rejected this anti-religious and unethical proposition and lodged an official complaint with the company administration, instead of taking action against the accused, the management unjustly terminated my employment,” she said.
According to her, the constant pressure eventually forced her to limit all communication with Shahina strictly to official work matters.
The victim stated that she informed senior company officials about the incidents when Dubai project head Ram Kumar visited the Pune office.
She alleges that Ram Kumar instructed Account Delivery Head Wasim Muskar and Operations Head Hemant Patole to conduct a detailed inquiry.
However, according to her complaint, no action was ultimately taken and she was never informed of any outcome.
Burqa remark sparks controversy
The dispute escalated during an internal Wipro meeting attended by multiple project officials.
The victim said she was explaining employee entry and exit procedures, including the functioning of dress-detection systems used for identification purposes.
During the discussion, she referred to the need for removing a burqa for identification verification. According to her, Shahina reacted aggressively, used abusive language and accused her of making offensive remarks about Islam.
The victim maintains that her comments were purely procedural and related to workplace identification requirements.
According to the complaint, events moved rapidly after the internal disagreement.
The woman alleges that her project responsibilities were taken away and she was subsequently placed on the “bench”, effectively leaving her without meaningful work assignments.
Soon afterwards, she claims she was contacted by company representatives identified as:
1. Prashant Qureshi
2. Jeevan Ahmed
3. Krishna Kumari
She alleges that these officials pressured her to resign.
According to the complaint, she was warned that refusal to resign could result in termination and damage to her future career prospects.
Forced resignation through Microsoft Teams meeting
A key allegation concerns a Microsoft Teams meeting held in August 2025.
The victim claims she was called into the meeting by company representatives and compelled to submit her resignation without being given a proper opportunity to present her side of the story.
Her lawyer, Advocate Vivek Bhosale, described the resignation as coerced and argued that it violated principles of natural justice.
The former employee alleges that no fair hearing was conducted despite her repeated requests.
She further alleges that despite submitting evidence through official channels, her complaints received little attention.
Instead, she claims that disciplinary proceedings were initiated against her.
According to her allegations, senior officials and members of the HR and management teams, including Zeeshan Ahmed, failed to address her concerns while supporting actions taken against her.
She also alleged that a complaint was filed against her before the company’s internal Ombuds Committee, even though her own grievance remained unresolved.
Legal notice seeks reinstatement and compensation
On 24 April 2026, the woman sent a legal notice to Wipro Limited through her advocate.
The notice seeks:
1. Reinstatement with continuity of service
2. Cancellation of the resignation allegedly obtained under coercion
3. Compensation of Rs 50 lakh for mental trauma and reputational damage
4. An official apology
5. Disciplinary action against those allegedly involved
She has given the company 15 days to respond, failing which she intends to pursue civil, criminal and labour court proceedings.
She also stated that she has sent multiple emails to the company but has not received any substantive response.
Demand for FIR and preservation of digital evidence
In her complaint to the Hinjawadi Police Station, Bagde requested immediate registration of an FIR and legal action against Shahina Rafik and other individuals she has named.
She has also sought directions for Wipro and telecom service providers to preserve: WhatsApp chats, Call records, Email communications and other digital evidence.
The complaint specifically requests that statements be recorded from Ram Kumar, Wasim Muskar, Hemant Patole and other relevant employees.
Additionally, she has sought an independent inquiry into why the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) under the POSH Act allegedly did not conduct an investigation into her complaints.
Hindu Janajagruti Samiti seeks high-level probe
Representatives of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, who accompanied Bagde during the press conference, demanded a comprehensive investigation into the allegations.
Speaking to the media, Sunil Ghanwat, State Coordinator of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti for Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, called for a high-level inquiry and strict legal action against anyone found guilty.
The organisation has also urged the Maharashtra government to intervene and ensure a fair investigation.
The allegations have emerged at a time when Maharashtra is already witnessing intense debate over the TCS Nashik case, in which multiple FIRs were registered following allegations of sexual exploitation, attempted religious conversion and workplace misconduct involving employees at a BPO unit.
The Wipro allegations are currently at the complaint stage. Police have yet to publicly announce the outcome of any investigation, and the allegations contained in the complaint remain subject to verification through legal and investigative processes.
For now, the complaint has opened another front in the growing discussion around workplace conduct, religious discrimination, grievance redressal mechanisms and employee rights within India’s corporate sector.
