Court allows Pachauri to visit US

A court here on Saturday permitted environmentalist R.K.Pachauri, accused in a sexual harassment case, to visit the US from June 29 to July 9 for attending his brother-in-law's funeral.

Metropolitan Magistrate Shivani Chauhan allowed Pachauri's plea, seeking to attend the last rites of his brother-in-law in the US.

In a plea moved by his counsel advocate Asish Dikshit, the environmentalist sought to visit the US.

He was granted anticipatory bail on March 21. But the sessions court had directed him not to leave the country without permission. He was also directed not to visit the premises of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).

Pachauri was questioned by Delhi Police on Wednesday and Friday.

A 29-year-old research associate working in Pachauri's office filed a complaint of sexual harassment against him in south Delhi on February 13 after approaching TERI authorities on February 9.

Delhi Police later booked Pachauri on charges of molestation, stalking, sexual harassment and criminal intimidation as the complainant had claimed that she was harassed by him for nearly two years since she joined his office in September 2013.

She also alleged that Pachauri had engaged in "sexually-laden conversations" with her over e-mail and SMS.

Pachauri was forced to step down as chairperson of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in February and proceeded on leave from TERI after the sexual harassment complaint but he has denied the allegations.