Delhi HC pulls up Centre, TERI for going slow on Pachauri

The Delhi high court on Monday asked the Union government to respond to a petition filed by an employee of The Energy and Resources Institute(TERI), alleging  that the research body had not acted against its Director-General Rajendra K Pachauri, as recommended by an internal complaints committee in connection with her sexual harassment complaint.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath issued notices to the government, TERI and RK Pachauri asking them to file replies by November 16.

“File your necessary counter affidavits within three weeks. Rejoinder in one week thereafter. This is not a matter we can dismiss just like that. The issue requires consideration,” the Bench said. <g data-gr-id="32">The internal complaints committee (ICC) report had been stayed by an industrial tribunal on May 29</g> on his plea, his counsel had earlier told the court. The woman in her petition has challenged the stay order as well as the jurisdiction of the industrial tribunal to deal with appeals against the ICC report or non-implementation of its recommendations.

Earlier, counsel for the victim alleged in the court that TERI and its governing council had “primarily failed to treat it as a misconduct or suspend him(Pachauri)” as recommended by ICC in its report.

The Delhi Police have booked him under Sections 354 (molestation), 354A (physical contact and advances involving unwelcome and explicit sexual overtures), 354D (any man who follows a woman and contacts, or attempts to contact such woman to foster personal interaction repeatedly despite a clear indication of disinterest by such woman) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

A Delhi court had granted permission to Pachauri to visit Kazakhstan to give a presentation along with other renowned scientists on ‘Climate Change and Sustainable Development’ before the president and cabinet ministers of that country.

Pachauri is on anticipatory bail. The victim has moved to the Delhi high court for <g data-gr-id="31">cancellation</g> of his bail. Pachauri has been named in an FIR lodged in New Delhi by a woman colleague on February 13.