HC asks publisher to file reply in Pachauri case

Delhi High Court today asked the publisher of a newspaper to file a reply on the issue of a headline on a report in the R K Pachauri sexual harassment case which it said was prima facie misleading.
After perusing the article, the bench comprising justices B D Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva observed that the heading is wrong and misleading and it could be a matter of contempt.
The court's observation came on a question raised by the counsel for Pachauri that a media house in its one of its reports had said that the articles on proceedings and findings of the inquiry against The Energy and Resources Institute's (TERI) Internal Complaints Committee(ICC) are not a violation.

Advocate Ashish Dixit, appearing for Pachauri, said that the publisher has portrayed it as the observation of the Delhi High Court.
The bench asked the counsel for the publisher and correspondent "Why do you report like this, It is wrong."
It asked them to file their response before December 8.

The court also told Pachauri's counsel that this order "does not mean that you will say that you won the case".
74-year-old Pachauri, who was facing allegations of sexual harassment, approached the division bench after the single bench on February 18 had refused his request for complete restraint on the media from reporting on the outcome of the inquiry initiated against him under Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act.

Pachauri has challenged the single bench order allowing the publication and airing of reports regarding the action taken by police, the proceedings of the complaint filed by the complainant before the committee, and connected court proceedings.