TERI Chief RK Pachauri Cancels Nairobi Trip after Second Woman Levels Sexual Harassment Charges

Days after a sexual harassment case was registered against Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Chairman Rajendra Kumar Pachauri, he has decided to skip the open session of the top scientific body in Nairobi next week.

Meanwhile, another employee of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) has accused the TERI chief of sexually assaulting her in 2005.

Earlier, a 29-year-old TERI employee had slapped the 75-year-old scientist with a sexual harassment case, accusing Pachauri of sexually abusing her since she joined the institute in September 2013. She said the scientist had sent her emails and SMS that were "sexually laden".

After the research analyst registered the case, Delhi Police launched a probe against Pachauri under immoral and non-bailable charges.

Following this, Pachauri had approached the Delhi High Court, which gave him interim relief from arrest.

Now, the second complainant's lawyer, Vrinda Grover, has revealed how she was victimized by Pachauri during her tenure at the institute. Grover, along with Indira Jaising - a former Additional Solicitor General - held a press conference on Sunday in connection to the case. Grover read out bits and pieces of the complainant's statement and said the case of sexual harassment at workplace is known to everyone in the institute.

"I make this statement with complete responsibility... There is a pattern of sexual harassment, misconduct with women employees, women staff...," Grover said, The Huffington Post reports.

Pachauri's aides refused to make any comment related to the matter.

At the press conference, Grover further said that the complainant had decided to make her case public after learning about the first charge pressed against Pachauri. The lawyer added that her client had tried filing an internal complaint with regard to Pachauri's persisting harassment, but had been unsuccessful.