New Delhi: The woman who had filed the sexual harassment case against eminent climate cientist R K Pachauri has resigned alleging she was being treated in the "worst possible manner" by TERI.
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) has, however, denied the charge as "completely false and baseless".
In her resignation letter to TERI Human Resources (HR) Director Dinesh Verma, the complainant alleged that the treatment meted out to her by the organisation has harmed her "mentally, professionally and economically".
She alleged that despite the inquiry committee finding Pachauri guilty of misconduct, the organisation has "failed" to do the "bare minimum" to ensure that she is not impacted.
However, TERI rejected the allegations, saying it has been "completely fair and totally neutral" and has accorded "special privileges" to the complainant and acceded to all her demands.
"TERI has been completely fair and totally neutral in the matter. The organization has till date accorded special privileges to the complainant and acceded to all her demands.
"The organization has not favored anyone which is a fact apparent from documented records...We would like to humbly submit that the complainant's allegations are completely false and baseless," it said in a statement.
On February 13, an FIR was registered against Pachauri on charges of sexual harassment under IPC sections including 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354 (d) (molestation) and 506 (criminal intimidation).
Here is the full text of her letter:
Dear Mr Verma
This is in reference to my ICC complaint against R K Pachauri for sexual harassment at the workplace and my subsequent FIR with Delhi Police in Feb 2015. The inquiry committee did hold R K Pachauri guilty of misconduct and TERI failed to do the bare minimum in order to ensure that I am not impacted.
Your organisation has treated me in the worst possible manner. TERI failed to uphold my interests as an employee, let alone protecting them. The organisation has instead protected R K Pachauri and provided him with full immunity, despite being held guilty of sexual harassment at the work place by your own inquiry committee. The Governing Council too let me down in an unprecedented way. The council could not even suspend a man pending inquiry and took NO ACTION despite the indictment. You also created a hostile environment for me which has only escalated and showed no signs of subsiding whatsoever. It is becoming clear that the Governing Council works for the DG and under his instructions. There has been no changeover in the DG as well as stated on 23 July, 2015.
I am tendering my resignation from TERI with IMMEDIATE EFFECT.
You changed my work profile and played deaf to my requests for not doing so. I was given ZERO EXPLANATION of taking such an action and none of my emails/requests were heeded to. I only got vague responses. I refuse to be associated with an organisation such as yours for the way you have mistreated me, for not standing by the law, for not having respect for my capabilities, for doing NOTHING to ensure that my career is not harmed and instead harmed me mentally, professionally and economically.
I tender my resignation without any prejudice to my rights to claim my salary, damages and other dues/costs for the gross misconduct and mental torture meted out to me at the work place, apart from taking all pending litigation to their logical conclusion.
Best.
