HC reserves order on Pachauri's bail cancellation

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday reserved its order on a plea filed by a woman research analyst who has accused environmentalist R.K. Pachauri of sexual harassment to cancel the bail granted to him.

Justice S.P. Garg posted the matter for order on January 28.

Pachauri was "influencing" the witnesses in the case and a "free and fair investigation" cannot be carried out if Pachauri is allowed to roam free, the woman had told the court.

The woman alleged that there is "overwhelming evidence" that he misused the bail granted to him by the trial court on March 21, 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.

After the woman employee of TERI filed a sexual harassment complaint, Pachauri denied the charge but stepped down as chairperson of UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in February last year and proceeded on leave from TERI where he was its director general.

Later, Pachauri was ousted as TERI head in July and Ajay Mathur appointed in his place.

In early November, the woman researcher who accused him of sexual harassment, quit her job at TERI, alleging she was treated badly. TERI denied the charge.

Citing several SMSes, e-mails and WhatsApp messages, the woman said Pachauri sexually harassed her soon after she joined TERI in September 2013. She filed a complaint in February 2015.

Pachauri was granted anticipatory bail in March but was ordered not to leave the country without court permission.