A Delhi court on Monday directed TERI Director-General R.K. Pachauri to move the court which has the jurisdiction to conduct trial of sexual harassment charges against him for permission to go abroad.
Mr. Pachauri had sought permission to visit Greece to participate in the Global Water summit as a keynote speaker between April 26 and 29.
Additional Sessions Judge R.K. Tripathi refused to consider his application for permission for the foreign tour when counsel for the complainant Prashant Mendiratta submitted that the competent court to consider his plea was the one which would conduct the trial of the case.
The public prosecutor in the case also opposed Mr. Pachauri’s application.
While granting anticipatory bail to Mr. Pachauri in the case, Mr. Tripathi had asked him not to make any foreign tour without the permission of the court.
Later, the court allowed counsel for Mr. Pachauri to withdraw the application and granted him liberty to file a fresh application before the competent court.
In his plea, Mr. Pachauri submitted that he could not miss the summit as he had confirmed his participation. Not attending it would cause an irreparable loss to his reputation, he said in his application.
Pachauri's sexual harassment case
>R.K. Pachauri steps down as IPCC chair
A spokesperson for Dr Pachauri issued a statement that he has informed the IPCC that he has resigned from his position.
>Activists demand Pachauri’s resignation from TERI
Social activists said the accused should set “an example of exemplary conduct” by immediately resigning from the post.
>Pachauri to "provide full cooperation in ongoing investigations"
The 75-year-old Pachauri said he was “committed to providing all assistance and cooperation to the authorities in their ongoing investigations."
