Executive vice-chairman of The Energy and Resources Institute, RK Pachauri, who is facing allegations of sexual harassment by two former colleagues, moved the Delhi High Court on Friday seeking action against some media houses. In his petition, Pachauri said the media houses “deliberately and contemptuously” disobeyed the court’s earlier orders restricting them from publishing the claims against him.

Referring to a few recent reports in his plea, Pachauri said he was “being subjected to an unfair and illegal media trial” and that the reports were defamatory and prejudicial, PTI reported. The petition demanded firm action against “glaring examples” of the media publishing “misleading reports with some ulterior motives”.

The contempt petition filed through advocate Ashish Dixit seeks to ensure compliance with the Delhi High Court’s directions in May last year, when it had asked media houses to adhere to journalistic norms in reporting the proceedings of the inquiry against Pachauri. The plea will be heard by a bench on March 3. TERI had confirmed earlier that Pachauri will be on leave “till this [the sexual harassment case] is reviewed by the governing council, given the subjudice nature of the matter”.