Court stays order forfeiting Rs 4L surety of RK Pachauri

A Delhi court on Monday stayed the order forfeiting the surety of Rs four lakh furnished by TERI Executive Vice Chairman R K Pachauri, facing sexual harassment allegations by an ex-woman colleague, for overstaying abroad in violation of travel conditions imposed on him. The sessions court stayed till March 2 the order of a metropolitan magistrate, after Pachauri’s counsel filed a revision petition before it alleging it was perverse to say that his client had deliberately violated the condition. 

“Issue notice of the revision petition to respondent (State) with PF (process fee) returnable for March 2, 2016. Trial Court Record be requisitioned for next date of hearing. Meanwhile, the order dated February 19 passed by metropolitan magistrate shall remain stayed till the next date of hearing,” Additional Sessions Judge Raj Kumar Tripathi said.

The magisterial court had on February 19 forfeited the surety deposited by Pachauri observing that he “unilaterally and deliberately” violated the travel conditions by overstaying in Sharjah by one day, where he had gone to receive a lifetime achievement award.

The court had said that Pachauri “deliberately and unilaterally extended the liberty granted to him. 

Thus, it is a clear case of violation of terms and conditions, subject to which, the accused was permitted to travel abroad vide order dated February 15.”