Delhi Police file chargesheet against Pachauri for sexual harassment

PTI
NEW DELHI, MARCH 1

Delhi Police on Tuesday filed a chargesheet in a court against TERI executive vice-chairman R.K. Pachauri for allegedly sexually harassing and outraging modesty of a former woman colleague.
Pachauri has also been accused of stalking and criminally intimidating the victim with gesture or act intended to insult her modesty, said the charge sheet filed in the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Shivani Chauhan who has fixed it for consideration on April 23, 2016.
Pachauri has denied all the allegations.
Investigating Officer in the case, Pratibha Sharma, who submitted the over 1,400 page charge sheet, said the probe was also based on the SMSes and emails 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 The Energy Research Institute (TERI), have been named as prosecution witnesses in the charge sheet.
Investigators have also relied on the statement of the victim before the police and magistrate, besides the SMSes and emails exchanged between her the accused, she said.
She said based on the complaint of the victim, 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 intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of IPC, are made out against Pachauri.
Sexual harassment case against RK Pachauri: A timeline
Following is the chronology of the events in the sexual harassment case allegedly involving executive vice-chairman of TERI R.K. Pachauri in which Delhi Police has filed a charge sheet against him.
February 13, 2015: FIR lodged against Pachauri for alleged offence of sexual harassment, criminal intimidation on the basis of a complaint of a woman research analyst of TERI.
February 17: Pachauri gives a complaint to police about hacking of his electronic devices.
February 19: Delhi HC grants interim protection from arrest to Pachauri till February 23, asks him to move trial court for further relief.
February 23: Delhi court extends Pachauri’s interim protection from arrest till February 26.
February 24: Pachauri steps down as chairman of the Inter governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
February 25: Lawyers and civil society activists demand Pachauri’s resignation from TERI.
February 26: Delhi court extends interim protection from arrest granted to Pachauri till Marchch 27 but bars him from entering TERI office premises.
February 28: Pachauri resigns from the PM’s council on climate change.
March 21: Delhi court grants anticipatory bail to Pachauri while rejecting the request of police for his custody.
April 17: Pachauri moves a Delhi court seeking permission to travel abroad to attend a global water summit in Greece from April 26 to 29.
April 20: Delhi court refuses to hear Pachauri’s plea to travel abroad after complainant questions its maintainability.
April 22: Pachauri moves HC seeking permission to travel to Greece.
April 23: HC denies permission to Pachauri to travel abroad after which he withdraws his plea.
May 19: HC seeks response of Pachauri on the woman’s plea seeking cancellation of the anticipatory bail granted to him.
May 20: HC refuses to cancel Pachauri’s anticipatory bail immediately.
May 21: Pachauri fails to get an order on his plea for permission to enter his office from a Delhi court.
June 24: Pachauri questioned by Police in the case.
June 27: Delhi court allows Pachauri to travel to the U.S. to attend last rites of his brother-in-law.
July 12: Pachauri faces fourth round of police questioning.
July 16: Police seeks cancellation of anticipatory bail granted to Pachauri in HC saying he was influencing witnesses and misusing the liberty.
July 17: Delhi court allows Pachauri to enter his office premises except the head office here and a branch in Gurgaon.
July 23: Governing council of TERI removes Pachauri from the post of DG.
September 8: Woman files fresh plea in HC alleging no action taken by TERI against Pachauri on internal panel’s findings.
September 28: Woman moves fresh application in HC seeking Pachauri’s immediate removal from office.
November 21: Pachauri allowed to enter TERI headquarters and its Gurgaon office by a Delhi court after victim resigns.
January 13: HC reserves verdict on woman’s plea seeking cancellation of anticipatory bail granted to Pachauri.
February 8: Pachauri appointed as executive Vice Chairman of TERI.
February 10: TERI ex-employees condemn appointment of Pachauri as Executive VC, demand deferment of his elevation till pendency of case.
February 11: Amid outrage over his appointment Pachauri proceeds on leave after a group of students refuse to receive degrees from him.
February 12: Former Competition Commission chief Ashok Chawla becomes new chairman of TERI.
February 13: TERI alumni attacks the governing council’s decision to send him on “paid leave” against their demand for his removal or suspension.
February 15: A Delhi court allows Pachauri to travel to Sharjah to receive Lifetime Achievement Award.
February 20: Delhi court forfeits Pachauri’s surety bond after he “deliberately” violates travel conditions imposed on him by overstaying abroad.
February 22: Sessions court stays the order forfeiting the surety of Rs four lakh furnished by Pachauri, for overstaying abroad.
March 1: Delhi Police files charge sheet against Pachauri, accuses him of offences of criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty, sexual harassment, stalking, criminal intimidation and word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman under IPC.