Ex-TERI chief R K Pachauri allowed to travel abroad again

Former TERI chief R K Pachauri, accused in a sexual harassment case, was once again allowed to travel abroad by a Delhi court today.
Pachauri, currently on bail, was granted permission by Metropolitan Magistrate Shivani Chauhan to travel to USA, Croatia and Norway from October 13 to November 12. He had returned on September 27 from a month's trip to USA, Mexico, China and Kazakhstan.
The court allowed the application filed by Pachauri, through his counsel Ashish Dixit, noting that he has been allowed to travel abroad on earlier occasions too and asked him to file a copy of his travel tickets and intimate the court after his return or any changes in his travel itinerary.

Pachauri was also directed to furnish an undertaking that he shall appear in court in person or through counsel and not dispute his identity at a later stage.
The court had on July 11 granted bail to Pachauri and allowed him to travel abroad after he appeared before it pursuant to the summons issued against him.
Pachauri has been allowed by the court to travel over a dozen times to various countries including USA, UK, China, Japan, France, Kazakhstan, Bolivia, Kuwait, Mexico, Somalia and Saudi Arabia, during pendency of the probe and proceedings.

The former TERI chief was summoned as accused by the court after it took cognizance of the charge sheet filed against him for allegedly sexually harassing an ex-colleague.

The court, while taking cognisance of the charge sheet, had said there was sufficient material to proceed against him under sections 354A (sexual harassment), 354B (assault against woman with intent to disrobe), 354D (stalking), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult modesty of woman) and 341 (wrongful confinement) of the IPC.
The charge sheet, filed by Delhi Police on March 1 last year, had arrayed 23 prosecution witnesses, many of whom are present and former employees of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). Pachauri was granted an anticipatory bail in the case on March 21 last year and an FIR lodged against him on February 13 last year.