The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)

Nearly a year after a 29-old- woman researcher filed a complaint against TERI top-hat RK Pachauri for sexual harassment and criminal intimidation, fresh reports suggest that the organisation continued to ‘coax’ the woman towards an out-of-court settlement by pressuring a male colleague to influence her. According to a complaint filed by the male colleague on 12 January, as many as four senior managers asked him to approach the woman and cajole her and was once told in a very ‘patronising’ tone that he should ‘reach out to his lady friend and get her to settle it out of court as this will be good for her as there is nothing left to achieve’.

The male colleague has resigned from the organisation , finding the attitude ‘appalling’. The female researcher had also quit TERI last year, alleging that she’d been subject to the ‘worst possible treatment’.

In July last year, TERI’s governing council had asked Pachauri to step down and named someone else to head the organisation, but he still remains with the organisation. With reports now of ongoing pressure on the complainant for a settlement, it is clear that TERI has no intention of taking any action in response to the complainant’s grievances.

CEORK Pachaurisexual harassmentTERI