Pachauri goes on leave to skip varsity convocation

Tainted environmentalist R K Pachauri on Thursday has gone on leave presumably to skip The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) University’s convocation on March 7 after a group of students said they would not receive the degrees from the hands of Pachauri.

Pachauri is under scanner for two separate cases of sexual harassment involving former women employees of the institute.

While one sexual harassment case is being heard by the Delhi High Court, the complainant in the second case came out in the open once again on Wednesday as her police complaint did not make much headway in the last one year.

Pachauri has conveyed his decision of to the TERI University’s acting vice chancellor Rajiv Seth.
His long-time aide Leena Srivastav is likely to serve as his stand-in during the convocation ceremony. Srivastav is university V-C ,who has been on sabbatical for the last few months.

The former TERI chief’s action follows a letter from TERI University alumni, who said they would not accept their degrees from Pachauri, who was appointed as the executive vice-chairman of TERI by the institute's board of governor earlier this week, despite the pending court case.

“Pachauri is using all his political clout, media influence and networks to stall the judicial process, intimidate witnesses, coerce TERI colleagues and employees to persuade the complainant to withdraw her case and settle out of court as it would be ‘better for her since she has nothing more to gain,” they wrote in the letter.

“As we take small steps in building our careers at different institutions of repute, it is becoming increasingly unviable for us to stay silent on this matter, which we consider to be an absolute contempt of principles, ethics and the law,” they added.