Teri hasn’t received any resignation letter from Pachauri, says governing council chairman Ashok Chawla
RK Pachauri, facing trial on sexual harassment charges, didn’t resign from The Energy and Resources Institute (Teri), the organisation had decided to “end“ its ties with him, said governing council chairman Ashok Chawla.Pachauri had said in a press release on April 21that he was “stepping away“ from Teri to “get engaged in other interests,“ adding, “I felt that it was time for me to move away .“

Chawla, clearing the air over Pachauri’s departure, told ET: “It was a conscious decision of the governing council not to extend Shri Pachauri’s membership of the council and consequently end his engagement with Teri.“

Pachauri, who has consistently denied the allegations against him, is yet to collect his personal effects from his office at the Capital’s India Habitat Centre, said people aware of the matter. In a response to ET’s queries, he said: “As conveyed in my previous statement to the press I have decided to step back from Teri. I will, however, given the history , still be willing to offer my counsel or any guidance sought by Teri until such time that I can.“

When asked if Teri had received any resignation letter from Pachauri, Chawla replied in the negative. He declined to divulge any further details about the governing council’s decision to end its ties with Pachauri.

After determining that the post of executive vice-chairman that Pachauri had been given by the governing council in February didn’t exist under Teri’s rules, the decision was deemed a `non est factum‘ order, or one that needn’t be adhered to.

“Rules of Teri were perused and legal opinion was sought which concluded that the said post (executive vice-chairman) did not exist as per rules,“ said another senior governing council member, who didn’t want to be named. The person went on to say that there was no letter from Pachauri asking to be relieved of his duties.

“If Mr Pachauri decided to step away, there would have been a resignation letter from him,“ the person said. “We have received none. The fact is that the governing council decided to terminate his contract with immediate effect.“ The decision to end Pachauri’s contract was not unanimous and there were dissenting voices in the governing council, said persons familiar with the matter. Pachauri’s term as member of the governing council ended on March 31. However, his contract with the organization was to expire in Ju ly 2017. Under the chairmanship of Chawla, who took over in February, the council decided to end Teri’s association with Pachauri by paying him all his dues for the remainder of the tenure. As per available informa . 1 crore.tion, this amounts to about ` Earlier this month, a local court took cognisance of the chargesheet filed against Pachauri and has summoned him as an accused. Pachauri is accused of sexual harassment at the workplace, stalking and wrongful restraint. He had been booked by Delhi Police on February 18, 2015, as first reported by ET. Following the registration of the FIR, Pachauri had stepped down from the chairmanship of the IPCC and also from the PM’s Council on Climate Change.

http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31818&articlexml=Pachauri-Didnt-Quit-Teri-Ended-His-Contract-27052016001094