NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police registered a first information report (FIR) late on Wednesday evening against Rajendra Pachauri, the director-general of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) after a woman research analyst lodged a complaint alleging harassment.
The FIR alleges Pachauri committed offences under Sections 354, 354A, 354D, 506 of IPC, which deal with outraging the modesty of a woman, sexual harassment, stalking, and criminal intimidation, respectively. Prashant Mehndiratta, a senior Delhi High Court lawyer representing the complainant, confirmed that an FIR has been registered after the alleged victim’s statement was recorded, a process that took over oneand-a-half hours.
The recording of statement ended after 11 pm and the case has been handed over to sub-inspector Pratibha Sharma for further investigation. The registering of a FIR is followed by an investigation which may or may not result in charges being pressed against the accused.
The SHO of the Lodhi Colony Police Station where the FIR (No. 52) has been registered could not be reached for this story despite repeated efforts.
Delhi Police commissioner BS Bassi did not respond to phone calls. The complaint was lodged on February 13 and was first reported by The Economic Times in its February 18 edition. The story was withdrawn from the website of this paper on Wednesday morning, after the Hon-‘ble Delhi High Court issued an injunction late on Tuesday night after the edition went to press.
On Wednesday, the Delhi HC heard lawyers representing Pachauri and Bennett Coleman & Co (BCCL) , the publisher of this paper. A final copy of the court’s order was not available till late Wednesday evening. A statement issued by a PR agency representing Pachauri said the case was sub judice and that the injunction remained in force. The statement was issued before the FIR was registered. “The Delhi High Court has been pleased to pass order dated 17/02/2015. The said matter came up for hearin ..
“However subject to the modifications in the order concerning defendants no 1 to 3, the order dated 17/02/2015 is applicable to the defendants and continues to be operational.”
“Given the fact that the said matter is currently subjudice and the Hon’ble High Court is seized of the matter, it will not be prudent or appropriate to comment anything on the matter pending adjudication before the Hon’ble Delhi High Court,” according to the statement. The principal defendant in the case is BCCL.
TOI | Feb 19, 2015
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