Pantry Declared ‘Footwear-Free Zone' In Ramzan At Goregaon Office In Mumbai, Tech Mahindra Denies Viral Claim

Amid the ongoing controversy at Tata Consultancy Services' (TCS) Nashik campus, where team leaders face allegations of sexual harassment and forced religious conversions, a fresh claim of religious bias in the workplace has surfaced involving Tech Mahindra.

Bombay High Court advocate and BJP Maharashtra SM Legal & Advisory Department head Ashutosh J. Dubey shared on X an Instagram direct message purportedly from a female employee at the company's Goregaon campus in Mumbai. The message alleged biased hiring practices, unequal workplace policies, and religious favoritism during festivals. The user also claimed that the office pantry had been declared a "Footwear-Free Zone" during Ramzan to facilitate prayers and iftar, with colleagues being asked to comply in the name of 'unity.'

Dubey shared screenshots of messages received by the employee who works in the Rogers Telecom process. The employee alleged that 60 percent of employees are Muslim boys and that most of them have Hindu girlfriends. The employee said that Muslim girls are allowed to wear 'burhas and nakabs'. The large number of Muslim employees were hired by HR Ghulam Ghous.

"During Ramzan, he gives total freedom to Muslim employees. They have iftar parties daily during that month with all the Muslim employees gathering in the canteen. I feel like working in a mini Pakistan over here. Please do something if possible. Let Mr. Anand Mahindra know about this," the employee wrote to Dubey.

Accompanying screenshots of what appeared to be an internal notice fueled online debate about whether corporate policies were veering toward religion-based rules instead of maintaining neutrality.

Tech Mahindra has categorically denied the claims. In an official statement, the company said it conducted an internal review and found the allegations to be "inaccurate and unfounded." A spokesperson confirmed that the image titled "Footwear Free Zone" is not from any of their offices, and the anonymous post regarding hiring practices is also false.

"At Tech Mahindra, we are firmly committed to building an inclusive, respectful workplace where every individual is treated with dignity and fairness, without discrimination of any kind, including on the basis of religion," the spokesperson told Moneycontrol. The company emphasised that it will continue reviewing policies and processes to ensure values are upheld and no coercive or inappropriate conduct is permitted.

The incident has drawn sharp reactions on social media, with users questioning selective accommodation in IT firms and drawing parallels to Hindu festivals like Navratri.

Dubey also tagged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, calling for an inquiry into alleged biased hiring and unequal policies across IT companies to safeguard merit and constitutional principles.

In the TCS Nashik scandal, several Muslim employees have been accused of sexual emploitation of young Hindu women. Several accused have been arrested, with one HR manager, Nida Khan, is reported to be absconding at the time of writing.