Now, 20 TERI students refuse to accept degrees from RK Pachauri

New Delhi: Trouble seems to be brewing for RK Pachauri, who is facing sexual harassment charges. Twenty students of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), who recently completed their course at the reputed institute, have refused to accept their degrees from Pachauri during a convocation scheduled on March 7.

In a letter to acting vice chancellor of TERI, the students have said, “Our rationale and conscience are clear: the internal committee constituted by Teri has found Pachauri to be guilty of having systematically abused his position of power to exploit and sexually harass a colleague...given the flow of events, it is highly probable that Pachauri has used all his political clout, media influence and networks to stall the judicial process, intimidate witnesses, coerce Teri colleagues and employees to 'persuade' the complainant to withdraw her case."

The letter categorically states that the students will not accept the our degrees from Dr Pachauri at the convocation.

Meanwhile, another former employee of TERI has come out in the open with allegations of sexual harassment against Pachauri.

The woman, who had joined in 2003 and worked for year, alleged that Pachauri, who was then DG of TERI, made sexual advances on her, adding that she tried to get help from other senior TERI officials but they refused to help.

Pachauri was recently appointed executive vice-chairman of TERI.

A group of former TERI employees and its university alumni on Wednesday condemned appointment of Pachauri as executive vice chairman of the green body, saying that it was a "slap" in the face of those fighting against gender discrimination and demanded deferment of his elevation till the case comes to an end legally.