Teri chief RK Pachauri gets interim relief from arrest

NEW DELHI: The 29-year-old woman who has leveled charges of sexual harassment and stalking against RK Pachauri started recording her statement before a magistrate on Monday, even as a lower court said the UN climate panel chief can’t be arrested till February 26.

The complainant, a research analyst at Teri – of which Pachauri is Director-General – recorded her statement in the magistrate’s chambers. The recording, which was in camera, lasted for nearly four hours and will continue on Tuesday. The recording of the statement, under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code, can be used as evidence in court proceedings.

“The victim has told me that she has stood her ground. The instances of sexual harassment at workplace are so many that she will resume recording her statement tomorrow also,” advocate Prashant Mendiratta, counsel for the complainant, told ET.

Meanwhile, Pachauri on Monday moved a lower court seeking anticipatory bail on medical grounds. Pachauri said that he suffers from cardiac ailments and requires “regular medical attention”. The 75-year-old, who is currently in hospital said he also suffers from “herniated discs”.

His counsel said that Pachauri is a man of international repute and a national asset. Dubbing the complaint against him “false, baseless and motivated”, Pachauri’s counsel stated that no purpose will be achieved by taking him into police custody.

Further, in his application, the Padhma Vibhushan awardee has stated “the complainant had engaged in the alleged conversations and was not opposed to such alleged correspondence for over 15 months”. The complainant has accused Pachauri of sending objectionable SMSes, Whatsapp and objectionable e-mails over 15 months, starting September 2013.

“Complaint was filed for the first time only after she was informed that due to her poor performance, she was being given the choice of moving to another division of the same organisation instead of continuing in the petitioner’s office,” as per the application.