Delhi High Court today reserved its decision on a woman's plea seeking cancellation of the anticipatory bail granted to TERI chief R K Pachauri by a lower court in a case of alleged sexual harassment.
Justice S P Garg said he will pronounce the order on January 28 after both parties concluded their arguments, in which Delhi Police has sought cancellation of Pachauri's liberty claiming he was influencing witnesses and misusing the bail conditions.
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) Director General Pachauri has denied the police's claim stating there was "nothing on record to suggest that he had influenced witnesses or any other person related to the present case or interfered in the investigation".
The submissions of the police and Pachauri were made before the court, which was hearing the woman's plea seeking cancellation of the anticipatory bail granted to him by a lower court on March 21 last year.
The female research analyst, who has now resigned from the organisation, has alleged in her application that "free and fair investigation" cannot be carried out if Pachauri was "allowed to roam around freely".
Earlier, the complainant's counsel Prashant Mendiratta had alleged in the court that Pachauri had "dictated what needs to be said to the witnesses" in the case and claimed there was "overwhelming evidence" to show that he had misused the bail conditions.
Referring to a March 21, 2015 order, the woman submitted that the lower court had "miserably failed" to appreciate the evidence gathered by the police to demonstrate that Pachauri, in violation of court orders, was in active touch with TERI officials and influencing witnesses.
Earlier, Pachauri was granted anticipatory bail by the trial court which had rejected the police's request for his custody in the case.
On February 13 last year, an FIR was registered against Pachauri on charges of sexual harassment under IPC sections 354, 354(a), 354(d) (molestation) and 506 (criminal intimidation).
