Mumbai, May 11 (IANS) The residence where Nida Khan, a key accused in the TCS religious conversion case, found shelter for over a month, is set to face demolition in a day or two, said Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Shirsat on Monday.

Nida Khan, a woman employee at the software firm’s Nashik unit, was in hiding for over a month after the forced conversion scandal came to light, which shook the nation. She was recently apprehended from a house, purportedly belonging to the AIMIM corporator.

The Maharashtra minister, speaking about the gravity of crime, said that this was a very serious incident as she was given cover by an AIMIM corporator for over 35-40 days, and such an act makes him complicit too in the crime.

He said that the corporator’s house is set to face bulldozer action because it was built illegally, and the owner also failed to submit valid documents when the Municipal Corporation demanded papers.

“The Municipal Corporation has given a three-day notice to the corporator, and it will certainly face demolition,” the minister told IANS.

Nida Khan, accused of orchestrating the religious conversion of Hindu women at the top IT firm, was nabbed from Mateen Patel’s residence two days ago. She had been absconding for several days. Nashik Police also named the AIMIM corporator as an accused for allegedly providing shelter to her.

Following the case against the corporator, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi came out in defence of Nida Khan, claiming that she was being targeted because of her religious identity and was subjected to a media trial. He also contested circulating theories of her being a key HR pivot in the forced conversion racket. He asserted that she was being harassed for her identity, and charges against her were flimsy and unsustainable.

The Maharashtra minister also came down heavily on the AIMIM chief over the latter’s defence of Nida Khan and accused the political outfit of nurturing and fostering “radical and extremist” elements to further its ideology.

He also backed Nitesh Rane’s comments, where the latter compared AIMIM chief to dreaded terrorist Osama bin Laden and went a step ahead to deride him by saying that the former could be better dubbed as “street thief”.

–IANS

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