NEW DELHI: In more trouble for beleaguered R K Pachauri, another former TERI woman employee alleged sexual harassment by former chief, a day before the Delhi High Court is scheduled to hear a plea to cancel his bail.
The woman claimed that she has been trying to record her statement but all her efforts have been obstructed by the Delhi Police. This is the second case of sexual harassment against Pachauri that has come to light in last one year.
In a five-page statement released by her lawyer Vrinda Grover, the woman said that it is time to break her silence and place the complete facts before the public given the fact that Pachauri is being rewarded by the TERI board rather than being held accountable. He was appointed Executive Vice Chairman in the organisation.
Citing some instances, the woman said: “I joined TERI in 2003 and worked there for over a year. R K Pachauri was the Director General of TERI during this period, and the editor of the TERI magazine. My job description required me to on occasion interact with him in person. He would often phone me himself or have his secretary call for me. From this point onwards, until I quit TERI, my sexual harassment by him increased.”
“Soon after I joined TERI and began interacting with R K Pachauri, he had renamed me with a sexually suggestive nickname “xxxx”. He said that this was a derivative of my official name and suited me far better. I recall that he said things like xxxx is sweet, and also how attractive flowers attract bees etc,” she said.
Describing her ordeal in TERI, she said: “On one occasion, when he had called me to his sixth floor office room to discuss work, he told me that he could lift hefty and heavy women, and so lifting me would not be a problem for him. I found his boasting extremely disrespectful towards women working at TERI.”
The woman alleged that Pachauri offered her to do head massage when she was having migraine pain. The other instances she citied include asking her out for dinner, forcibly kissing her, asking intrusive questions about her my personal life and commenting about her clothes among others.
She claimed that the women who comprised the Human Resource team were also subjected to harassment and none had courage to speak against him.
Finally when she decided to quit TERI, Pachauri threatened her of consequences.
“When R K Pachauri saw my resignation letter, he threatened that from the airport to the city I was going to, he had friends everywhere and that he would see how I would leave his employment,” she added.
A group of TERI University students have written a letter asking all employees and students to raise voice against Pachauri.
In high court, Pachauri said he has never exercised any pressure on the organisation and its officials as alleged by complainant.
"The answering Respondent (Pachauri) has never exercised any pressure upon TERI and its officials. It is matter of record that answering Respondent was away from TERI from February, 2015 till July, 2015 and it was only after the permission of the Sessions Court that he was allowed to enter the office,” he said in an affidavit reply.