Relief for RK Pachauri: Delhi HC dismisses plea seeking cancellation of anticipatory bail

The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed a plea seeking cancellation of anticipatory bail granted to TERI Executive Vice Chairman R K Pachauri in an alleged sexual harassment case. Justice SP Garg had reserved the order on 11 February after hearing arguments of lawyers representing 29-year-old woman research analyst, Pachauri, and the Delhi Police. Delhi Police recently chargesheeted Pachuari under various sections of the Indian Penal Code dealing with assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty, sexual harassment, stalking, criminal intimidation and word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman. Police have cited around 23 prosecution witnesses and several SMS texts, e-mails and WhatsApp messages exchanged between the accused and victim as evidence to support their case. [caption id=“attachment_2656870” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  RK Pachauri. File photo. Reuters[/caption] Advocate Prashant Mediratta, appearing for the complainant, accused Pachauri of “influencing” the witnesses in the case. The woman alleged that there is “overwhelming evidence” that he misused the bail granted to him by the trial court on 21 March, 2015. She had also contended that Pachauri is an “influential man” who has been the top boss of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) for last 34 years and was in active touch with its officials. Her lawyer had also told the court that one TERI employee, who has now resigned, had filed a police complaint on 12 January saying senior officials of TERI were pressurising him to have the matter settled by the woman with Pachauri. Delhi Police had said that it has been interrogating the officials of TERI after woman’s colleague filed a complaint. Pachauri, however, told the court that TERI officials did not talk to the man on Pachauri’s behalf, adding that he “never exercised any pressure upon TERI and its officials”. After the woman employee filed a sexual harassment complaint, Pachauri denied the charge but stepped down as chairperson of the 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. On 8 February, Pachauri was appointed as the executive vice chairman of the organisation despite the ongoing inquiry in the sexual harassment case. After severe criticism, TERI on 12 February asked him to proceed on indefinite leave. With inputs from agencies