Never pressurised TERI, officials in sexual harassment case: Pachauri to HC

New Delhi, Feb 10: Environmentalist R.K. Pachauri, accused by a former colleague of sexual harassment in February last year, told the Delhi High Court on Wednesday that he has “never exercised any pressure upon TERI and its officials”.

Refuting the claim of the victim that as per media reports, Pachauri was influencing The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) officials to settle the sexual harassment case lodged against him, he, in an affidavit filed in the court, termed the allegations “blatant”.

“The answering respondent (Pachauri) has never exercised any pressure upon TERI and its officials. It is matter of record that he was away from TERI from February 2015 till July 2015...,” said the affidavit filed by Pachauri.

After the woman employee of TERI filed a sexual harassment complaint, Pachauri denied the charge but stepped down as chairperson of UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in February last year and proceeded on leave from TERI where he was the director general.

Later, Pachauri was removed as TERI head in July and Ajay Mathur appointed in his place. In November, the woman researcher who accused him of sexual harassment quit her job at TERI, alleging she was treated badly. TERI denied the charge. However, now Pachauri has been appointed executive vice-chairman of the organisation despite the ongoing inquiry in the sexual harassment case.

Reacting to Pachauri’s promotion, the woman had written an open letter questioning the move. She described the promotion of Pachauri as “shameless”.

“The news of promotion of a man who stands booked on charges of sexual harassment at workplace, stalking and crimil intimidation by country’s who’s who makes my flesh crawl,” she said. (IANS)