RK Pachauri charged with harassment

The Delhi police on Tuesday chargesheeted former Teri chief R.K. Pachauri in connection with the sexual harassment case filed against him on February 13 last year by a former colleague. This comes about a fortnight after Mr Pachauri was asked to go on leave from Teri, its governing council and university, amid outrage over his elevation to the post of executive vice-chairman.

In the chargesheet filed on Tuesday, the former chief of the green body was accused of stalking and criminally intimidating the victim with gesture or act intended to insult her modesty, allegations which Pachauri has been denying. The judge fixed April 23 as the day for consideration on the chargesheet. IO in the case, Ms Pratibha Sharma, who submitted the over 1,400-page charges-heet, said the probe was also based on the SMSes and e-mails exchanged between the accused and the victim.

She said the complaint of the former Teri woman employee was thoroughly examined and statements of witnesses, many of whom are present and former employees of the organisation and friends, were recorded.

The IO said 23 persons, including friends, present and former employees of Teri, have been named as prosecution witnesses in the chargesheet. Investig-ators have also relied on the statement of the victim before the police and magistrate, besides the SMSes and emails exchanged between her and the accused, she said.

She said based on the complaint, offences punishable under sections 354 (assault / criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354 A (sexual harassment), 354 D (stalking), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (word, gesture or act inten-ded to insult the modesty of a woman) of IPC, are made out against Pachauri, who was granted anticipatory bail in the case on 21 March 2015.