The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the Delhi police and TERI chief RK Pachauri in the sexual harassment case against him. The next hearing in the case will be held on February 11.
The notice comes after the complainant in the case moved a fresh plea in the court. In this new petition, the complainant alleges that a colleague was pressurised to dilute the case against Pachauri.
Also read: Twist in TERI Case, Camp Pachauri Pushes for Hush-Hush Settlement
Pachauri called the fresh plea an excuse to delay High Court orders on one pretext or the other since the complainant herself has relocated to London.
The 29-year-old research analyst, who has now quit the organisation, moved the application a day before the court was to pronounce its verdict on her plea seeking the cancellation of the anticipatory bail granted to Pachauri by a lower court in March 2015.
In January, the complainant told The Quint that two of her former colleagues at TERI were asked to approach her to convince her for an out-of-court settlement.
Also Read: Exclusive: Two TERI Employees Told to get Complainant to Back Off
On Wednesday, January 27, TERI responded to The Quint’s story, calling the allegations completely baseless and false.
Also Read: TERI Issues Statement Saying Allegations Are Baseless
Pachauri Pressurised TERI Employees, Dictated Statements Says Victim
In her High Court submission, the complainant has also alleged that TERI employees were pressurised by Pachauri to not provide free access to the Delhi police to the internal servers of the organisation’s official mail.
She also added that the statements given by the employees was dictated by Pachauri.
HC Submission by Prashant Mendiratta, Victim’s CounselNow, this one employee (woman’s colleague) of TERI who gave the complaint to police on January 12 has come forward and informed police that its senior officials are pressurising him to have the matter settled by the complainant with RK Pachauri.
Referring to her plea from March 21, 2015, the verdict of which was reserved on January 13, 2016, the victim blamed the lower court of “miserably failing” to appreciate the evidence gathered by the police to demonstrate that Pachauri, in violation of court orders, was actively in touch with TERI officials and influencing witnesses.
On February 13, 2015, a FIR was registered against Pachauri on charges of sexual harassment under IPC sections 354, 354(a), 354(d) (molestation) and 506 (criminal intimidation).
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)