The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Nashik City police on Monday booked Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar resident Hanif Khan for allegedly sheltering Nida Khan while she was absconding.Nida is one of the accused in the TCS-linked BPO case involving allegations of sexual exploitation and religious conversion. (HT FILE)Nida is one of the accused in the TCS-linked BPO case involving allegations of sexual exploitation and religious conversion. The SIT has arrested all eight accused in the case, including Nida. All are employees of the BPO and are currently in judicial custody.For the second time, senior SIT officials led by assistant commissioner of police (Crime) Sandip Mitke questioned Hanif Khan and AIMIM corporator Mateen Patel of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar for over four hours on Monday. The duo was earlier interrogated on May 25.Police sources said Hanif was booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for allegedly allowing Nida to stay at his house in Sambhajinagar for a few days while she was on the run after an FIR was registered against her at Devlali police station on March 26.Investigators added Hanif as a co-accused in the case registered at Devlali police station against Nida Khan, Danish Shaikh, Tausif Attar and Mateen Patel.The Nashik City police and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar police had arrested Nida from Hanif’s residence in a joint covert operation on May 7.The SIT had earlier booked Patel soon after Nida’s arrest, alleging that he played a role in harbouring her. Investigators claim that it was at Patel’s behest that Hanif provided accommodation to Nida and her family.Abhaysinh Bhosale, counsel for both Patel and Hanif, confirmed that investigators had informed Hanif that he had been booked for providing shelter to Nida.“The role of both Patel and Hanif in the entire BPO case is minimal. Both my clients are fully cooperating with the SIT. During today’s interrogation, they reiterated that they do not personally know Nida or her family,” Bhosale said.According to Bhosale, the SIT has summoned Patel again on Thursday to collect his voice sample as part of the investigation. The SIT had seized the mobile phones of Patel and Hanif for forensic examination on May 25.Meanwhile, the court of Additional Sessions Judge K G Joshi is scheduled to hear the bail applications of Nida Khan, Danish Shaikh and Tausif Attar on June 12. The trio has been named in the Devlali police station FIR for allegedly sexually exploiting a co-worker at the BPO and hurting her religious sentiments.