Pachauri grilled for third time

Noose appears to be tightening around former TERI chief RK Pachauri as the Delhi Police questioned him for the third time on Sunday in connection with sexual harassment case lodged in February by a girl, this year. Sources in the Delhi Police said that they may arrest him soon. A police team went to his Gold link residence and grilled him for over two hours. The police sources said Pachauri still denies all the allegations levelled by the girl. Police said that they may confront him with the girl soon in the light of the evidence gathered so far. 

A team led by SHO lodhi Colony Police Station Virender Singh Dalal visited Pachauri’s residence around 11 am and recorded his statement, third time within two months. An FIR had been registered against 74-year-old Pachauri on February 13 on the charges of sexual harassment under Sections 354, 354(a), 354(d) (molestation) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code at South Delhi’s lodhi Colony Police Station.

On March 21, a local court had rejected the Delhi Police request for his custody giving him relief with granting his anticipatory bail. Meanwhile, on May 21, the court declined to allow Pachauri to enter his office while noting the slow progress in the probe against him and asked the police to complete it by July 17. 

It may be recalled that a 29-year-old woman researcher, employed by Pachauri, had alleged that he misbehaved inappropriately with her shortly after she joined TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) in late 2013. As per her complaint, Pachauri not only inappropriately touched her but also persisted in his conduct, even after the complainant resisted. The research analyst had also moved TERI over the issue on February 9.

She approached the police four days after raising the matter internally at her workplace, where Pachauri had been in-charge since 1981. A few days later the matter came into the media and Pachauri resigned from the post of TERI chief.