Pachauri charge sheeted in Teri sexual molestation case

01 March, New Delhi

After a year-long investigation, noted climate scientist and energy expert, Rajendra Kumar Pachauri was today charge sheeted by the Delhi police for outraging the modesty of a former woman colleague when he was the Director General of the Delhi-based non-profit think-tank organisation, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), a senior police official said.

“A charge sheet was filed today in the Metropolitan Magistrate court of Shivani Chouhan in Saket,” the officer said. The former chief of a United Nations climate panel was accused last February of sexual harassment by a 29-year-old researcher working at the Delhi-based think-tank, TERI, where 75-year-old Pachauri, was the Director General.

Pachauri has denied the charges.Commenting on the charges of the Delhi police, Ramesh Gupta, lawyer appearing for accused Pachauri, said, “My client is innocent in the case. He had not done offence. I have not seen the charge sheet. As soon as I will see it, I will take the next course of action,” Gupta said.

He said that now the court had fixed the case for consideration on April 23.

“My client is now on bail, so he could not be arrested now till the court takes up the matter,” Gupta said.The charge sheet, running into over 1,000 pages, includes SMSes and emails purportedly sent by him to the victim, said the police. It also includes statements of 25 key witnesses in the case, many of whom are still working at present and former employees of TERI, said the police official.

Prashant Mendiratta, lawyer for the victim, said, ”I am happy that the police had filed a charge sheet against Pachauri. “Although one year have been passed, but the police have prima facie been able to make out a case against Pachauri.” he said.

Mendiratta also made it clear that now he had to prove the case against Pachauri in the court. “We have enough evidence to nail him and prove that he is the person who had committed the offence,” Mendiratta said.