Indira Jaising demands Pachauri's removal from TERI top job

Former additional solicitor general Indira Jaising on Thursday demanded the removal of R K Pachauri, accused of sexual harassment by a 29-year-old colleague, from his post as the Director General of TERI.

"If any fair inquiry to be conducted, he has to be suspended from his position as Director General. As of now he has only preceded on leave, so he continues to be the de facto head of the organisation. In such a situation, a complaint against him cannot be fairly heard," Jaising told ANI.

Pachauri, who has stepped down as the chairman of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, was earlier granted interim bail till March 27 by a local court in Delhi on medical grounds.

Under the conditions of his bail, he will reportedly not be able to leave the country, nor indirectly or directly contact any TERI employee. He will also pledge to not influence witnesses and will be required to cooperate in the probe whenever needed.

A case under IPC Section 354 has been registered against Pachauri at the Lodhi Colony police station in the national capital.