All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) corporator Mateen Majeed Shaikh, who was made an accused in the Nashik TCS sexual harassment case for allegedly sheltering accused Nida Khan, was granted bail by a Nashik court on Monday.

Additional Sessions Judge Kedar Rajaram Joglekar granted Patel bail on a bond of Rs 75,000 with one or two sureties of the same amount.

While allowing the plea, the court noted that Patel had not been arrested during the police investigation. He had instead been issued a notice under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and was allowed to remain out of custody. The investigating officer had also not sought his custody, the court noted.

Patel was later served a notice after the chargesheet was filed but failed to appear before the court. A non-bailable warrant was then issued against him. He was produced before the court on August 7 and sent to judicial custody.

The court observed that his custody was not required, pointing out that he had remained out of custody throughout the investigation.

Patel was booked under Section 249 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for allegedly harbouring an offender, besides provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Police had named Patel as an accused after Khan was arrested in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in May. Police alleged that Patel had helped her stay at a property while she was evading arrest.

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Patel, during his questioning by the police, had denied knowing about the allegations against Khan and said he had only helped her family arrange accommodation.

The case relates to a series of FIRs registered by the Nashik police following allegations of sexual harassment and other offences involving employees of a TCS-linked BPO in Nashik.