Responding to the story filed by The Quint on January 25, 2016, Exclusive: Two TERI Employees Told to get Complainant to Back Off, an official spokesperson from TERI has issued the following the statement to The Quint:
TERI categorically denies that it mandated any of its staff to mediate or negotiate with the researcher in the concerned case. The claim by the researcher that he was pressurized by senior officials of TERI is a baseless and false allegation.
Till today, the Director-HR has not been informed of any such irregular conduct by TERI officials as alleged in the press reported complaint.
The allegation as reported of “coaxing and cajoling” the instant gentleman employee is of July 2015 [sic]. The internal Complaints Committee (ICC) was finalizing its report around that time and it should have been rightfully made before it. If the allegation is made after the submission of aforesaid ICC report then the same should have been brought to the attention of HR Division so as to enable it exercise its first privilege of enquiring into it.
While the police complaint was reportedly made on January 11, 2016. Strangely, the allegations made were covered on January 25, 2016.
The statement is in response to a male researcher’s allegations that top officials from TERI repeatedly “coaxed and cajoled” him to approach the sexual harassment complainant to settle out of court.
Speaking to The Quint, the sexual harassment complainant has added that it was not one, but two TERI employees who were asked to approach her.
(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.)