Sexual harassment case: RK Pachauri quizzed for the third time

New Delhi: Former TERI head RK Pachauri on Sunday faced third round of police questioning at his residence in the alleged sexual harassment case registered against him by a woman researcher.

A team of Lodhi Colony police quizzed 74-year-old Pachauri at his Golf Links residence here for two hours, police said.

"Further questioning will continue as the investigators have not yet covered the full questionnaire prepared by them due to inability to hold a long session in view of his advanced age," said a senior police officer.

Pachauri has denied the charges against him and the police plans to confront him with the woman to verify the facts in the case.

The FIR against Pachauri in the sexual harassment was registered under sections 354, 354(a), 354(d) (Molestation) and 506(criminal intimidation) of the IPC at Lodhi Colony police station on a 33-page complaint submitted by the woman researcher on February 13 this year.

Investigators had already sent Pachauri's mobile and laptop for forensic analysis as he claimed that he was a victim of hacking and his computer resources were misused and filed a police complaint in this regard as well.

On May 21, a local court had declined to allow Pachauri to enter his office while noting the slow progress in the probe against him and asked police to complete it by July 17.

The court had noted that investigation in the case was progressing at a "snail's pace" as during the arguments the Investigating Officer (IO) had conceded that from March 21 no probe had been done.

The court had also said that the IO may conclude the probe by the next date of hearing and examine material witnesses of the prosecution.

Pachauri was granted anticipatory bail on March 21 by the court which had rejected the request of police for his custody in the molestation case.

The court had granted him anticipatory bail by imposing several conditions on him including that he will join the probe as and when called, he will not enter TERI office premises and not intimidate or threaten the complainant and the witnesses of the case.