NEW DELHI: A Delhi court has ruled that there is “no stigma” on RK Pachauri, the former chairperson of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as he died before the conclusion of trial against him and the prosecution could not prove the allegations of sexual harassment made against him by a former associate.
“The revisionist died before the conclusion of the trial against him. As such the prosecution could not prove its case qua the accused/revisionist herein. Hence, there can be no stigma on the deceased in the given set of circumstances,” said Additional Sessions Judge Mohinder Virat.
The court was hearing an application filed by his son seeking leave to continue the revision petition filed by Pachauri in his lifetime. His lawyer, Ashish Dixit argued that allegations made in the complaint have caused stigma on the impeccable reputation of his late father and have caused irreparable loss to the family. The court did not allow the application as there was no prejudice and stigma caused to the late RK Pachauri and his family.
“Since the revisionist has died, the revision petition cannot proceed further and the proceedings against the deceased stands abated,” said the court order. Pachauri resigned from the IPCC in 2015 after allegations were made against him of sexual harassment by a 29-year-old employee of TERI. Later, TERI’s governing council reinstated Pachauri as its executive vice chairman despite the pending probe into the sexual harassment complaint against him.
He was framed under sections 354 (outraging modesty of a woman), 354A (sexual harassment) and section 509 (words used to outrage the modesty of a woman) of the IPC and discharged him as no material was present for charges by prosecution under Section 354 B, 354D, 506 and 341 IPC.