Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, the chairman and managing director of Biocon Limited, has revealed toThe Economic Times the reason she quit the governing council of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in September.
Shaw has said she quit over a matter of ‘prinicple’ relating to the sexual harrasment accusations against TERI’s former director general, RK Pachauri. Shaw quit three months ago over her “moral responsibility”and refusal “to be dragged into an extremely contentious issue.”
(In the) best interest of the institution... a person of his stature should step down till his innocence is proved.Kiran Mazumdar Shaw
She further elaborated that the allegations against Pachauri were “very serious” and there is a “cloud over” him.
I did not stand in judgment but it is the principle I stood for.Kiran Mazumdar Shaw
Pachauri was booked by the Delhi Police on February 18 on charges of sexual harassment at the workplace, criminal intimidation and stalking based on a complaint made by a 29-year-old woman who worked as a research analyst at TERI. In July, the court then ordered his removal from his position as director general of the institute. He was soon replaced by Ajay Mathur of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency.
An official release by TERI following his departure did not mention the sexual harassment allegations but praised Pachauri for building and leading the institute over the last 34 years. To this, the victim responded:
Strangely the press release issued by TERI was the same issued by the DG’s PR firm Lexicon, only earlier. Was the firm acting on behalf of TERI or the DG? It leaves me wondering if his replacement had anything to do with my complaint at all? What happened to the action that is to be taken on my complaint? Where’s the conviction?
At a recent governing council meeting, Pachauri was elevated as executive vice-chairman of the governing council of TERI. In addition, a proposal to give him operational powers is being considered by the governing council.
Mathur expressed concerns over the appointment of Pachauri as vice-chairman. He said, “If we add fuel to the fire, TERI will get burnt down,” mentioning that he has also sent emails to the governing council regarding the transition.
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