Harassed, Now She Quits – TERI Says Complainant’s Claims Are False

TERI complainant resigns saying TERI is protecting RK Pachauri and she has been treated in the worst manner possible.

The complainant in the RK Pachauri sexual harassment case has resigned from The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). The Quint has accessed her letter of resignation addressed to the head of Human Resources, Dinesh Verma.

TERI has, however, called the victim’s statement baseless and false, according to CNN-IBN.

In her resignation, the complainant suggests that despite various complaints, TERI is still protecting its top boss. She also accused the organisation of treating her “in the worst possible manner”.

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.

Excerpt from the complainant’s resignation letter.

The complainant in earlier interviews to The Quint had alleged that it was business as usual for Pachauri despite the grave allegations against him. After resuming work, Pachauri had even re-constituted the Internal Complaints Committee, which had found him guilty of sexual harassment.

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 (RK Pachauri) and under his instructions.

Excerpt from the complainant’s resignation letter.

He is currently out on bail and has even been granted permission by the courts to travel abroad.

Read the complainant’s resignation 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.

Read: Detailed interview with the Pachauri sexual harassment survivor.