TERI sacks RK Pachauri accused in sexual harassment case

TERI's Rajendra K. Pachauri was accused of sexually harassing a female colleague in 2015.

New Delhi: The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) has cut ties with Rajendra K. Pachauri, accused of sexually harassing a female colleague in 2015.

According to The Hindu, Pachauri was sacked by the governing council of the research institute in a meeting earlier this week.

As per the report, the governing council cut its ties with Pachauri despite the fact that his employment contract expires in July 2017.

It was also decided that the 75-year-old's membership for the council will not be renewed, which ended on March 31 this year.

It was decided to "pay all the dues for the remainder of the tenure and bring an immediate end to it (contract)".

The decision means Pachauri will no longer be the executive vice-chairman.

Speaking to The Hindu, TERI's spokesperson said, “...Dr. Pachauri’s term as a Member of the Governing Council of Teri ended on March 31, 2016. As the post of executive vice-chairman is co-terminus with this membership, his role as executive vice-chairman also ended along with his membership of the Council.”

TERI's decision comes as, earlier this month, a third woman alleged she was sexually harassed by Pachauri.

Pachauri was accused of sexually harassing a female colleague in 2015. He stepped down as chairperson of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in February last year. In November, the woman researcher who accused him of sexual harassment quit her job at TERI, alleging that she was treated badly.