Court allows R K Pachauri to travel to Sharjah to get award

A Delhi court today allowed TERI's executive Vice Chairman R K Pachauri, facing sexual harassment allegations by a former woman colleague, to travel to Sharjah tomorrow where he will be conferred with Lifetime Achievement Award.

The court allowed Pachauri's application to travel abroad after he sought permission to go to Sharjah from February 16 to 18 where he is likely to be conferred with the award.

In his application, he stated that he will also have a meeting with Secretary General of Geneva-based World Meteorological Organisation for which he needs to travel abroad further from February 22 to 26.

Metropolitan Magistrate Shivani Chauhan granted permission to Pachauri while noting the submission of the Investigative Officer that investigation in the matter was complete and charge sheet is likelyn to be filed soon.

"In these circumstances, the accused is permitted to travel as per his itinerary subject to furnishing of one local surety of Rs 4 lakh to the satisfaction of this court and upon furnishing and undertaking that he will make himself available to the investigating officer as per the requirement," the magistrate said.

The court also directed him to file a copy of his travel tickets and intimate the court and the IO after his return. Advocate Ashish Dixit, counsel for Pachauri, submitted that his client has been invited as a guest of honour at the First Annual Water and Energy Congress at Sharjah from February 16 where he is scheduled to deliver lecture and has been selected to be conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award by Alleem Business Congress.

During the pendency of the trial, Pachauri has been allowed at least nine times to travel to various countries, including USA, UK, China, Japan, France, Kazakhstan, Bolivia, Kuwait, Somalia and Saudi Arabia.

On February 13 last year, an FIR was registered against Pachauri on charges of sexual harassment under IPC sections 354, 354(a), 354(d) (molestation) and 506 (criminal intimidation).