Sexual harassment case: R K Pachauri quizzed for third time, denies allegations

Police questioned Pachauri for around two hours at his residence in the presence of his advocate. (Source: PTI photo)

The South district police once again questioned Nobel laureate and former TERI chief R K Pachauri in connection with the sexual harassment case filed against him. Pachauri has been booked for allegedly molesting a research associate working in his office.

A senior police officer of South district said on Sunday, a team of three officers — including inspectors Virender Dalal and Ajay Singh Negi from Lodhi Colony police station — reached Pachauri’s Golf Links residence around 11 am and recorded his statement for the third time within two months.

Police questioned Pachauri for around two hours at his residence in the presence of his advocate. He was given a questionnaire with around 40 questions. “Pachauri still denies all the allegations leveled by the woman,” a police officer said.

Police had booked Pachauri in February under charges of molestation, stalking and sexual harassment (sections 354, 354A and 354D of IPC), on the basis of a complaint filed by a former TERI employee.

The woman had claimed that Pachauri had sexually harassed her for around two years, since she joined in September 2013, and also alleged that he had engaged in “sexually-laden conversations” with her over emails and text messages.

Investigators had already sent Pachauri’s mobile phone and laptop for forensic analysis as he claimed he was a victim of hacking and his computer resources were misused. He had filed a police complaint in this regard as well.

On March 21, a Delhi court had rejected the Delhi Police’s request for Pachauri’s custody and granted him anticipatory bail. Meanwhile, on May 21, the court declined to allow Pachauri to enter his office while noting the slow progress in the probe against him and asked police to complete it by July 17.

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