Nashik, April 9 -- Nashik police have arrested six employees of one of the country's largest business process outsourcing (BPO) firms after complaints by nine staff members, including eight women, of rape, sexual harassment and harassment. Investigating officers said the case began with a complaint by one of the woman employees of the BPO at Devlali police station on March 26 wherein she accused one of her seniors of raping her. In the course of the probe into this complaint, eight more staff members-including one male employee of the BPO-came forward and lodged complaints in phases at Mumbai Naka police station, with the last FIR registered on April 3, alleging sexual harassment. Nashik city police commissioner Sandeep Karnik confirmed the arrests and said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to probe the case. "We first received a complaint from a woman employee at a BPO, based on which our senior officials conducted a probe and took other victims into confidence. After that, they too lodged complaints," Karnik told HT. "We are also probing whether the company followed the existing mechanisms to address complaints of sexual and other kinds of harassment, if they were raised internally," he added. Police have registered nine FIRs-eight at Mumbai Naka police station and one at Devlali police station-against all six accused under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The sections invoked include 69 (rape), 75 (sexual harassment), and 299 (deliberate acts to outrage religious feelings) at Devlali police station. At Mumbai Naka police station, the sections applied are: sections 78 (stalking), 79 (outraging modesty through inappropriate gestures), and 299 (outraging religious feelings). Assistant police commissioner Sandeep Mitke said the accused in the rape case was arrested on March 26. "He had sexually exploited the complainant on the pretext of marriage. He was in judicial custody after police remand. We have now taken him back in police custody as his name has surfaced in other FIRs too," said Mitke. The male complainant has alleged that the accused hurt his religious sentiments. In her complaint, the woman alleged that the accused, despite being married, forced her into a relationship on the false promise of marriage and repeatedly raped her at locations on Trimbak Road. She also alleged that his associates harassed her by making remarks about their relationship. The complainant further told the police that other female employees were facing sexual and mental harassment. Following this, the police contacted the women and counselled them to file complaints. "Considering the sensitivity of the matter, CP Karnik has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by an officer of the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police that will handle the case," said another police officer. The BPO employs around 300-350 people. A senior officer added that the firm's HR officer too has been named an accused in one case where one of the complainants had emailed them about sexual harassment by certain team leads, but the complaint was allegedly not taken seriously....