Vinod Rai, who heads the two-member Committee of Administrators (CoA) appointed by the Supreme Court, appears to be protecting Rahul Johri, but many in the Board of Control for Cricket in India have begun talking about the need to revisit the complaint of harassment against the CEO by a married lady on its payroll.
Some have been mentioning “sexual harassment,” while others have said “harassment.” The lady’s complaint had gone to Rai and his colleague, Diana Edulji, earlier this year.
According to top sources of The Telegraph, the lady “resigned,” but was “persuaded” by Rai to take back her resignation.
At least two meetings, it seems, were held.
One meeting featured Rai, the lady and her husband (which suggests the harassment had been sexual); the other was between Johri, the lady and one of the most senior and well-connected men in the Board.
Some say that Johri gave a “written apology,” but that just couldn’t be confirmed till late on Monday.
Despite what is doing the rounds, nobody in the Board has so far come out openly. Perhaps, a wait-and-watch game is being played.
From February/March, when the harassment occurred, cut to October...
Accused of grave sexual misconduct by an unnamed lady via a post put out on another individual’s Twitter handle, Johri has been stopped from attending the Chief Executives’ meeting called by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in Singapore.
After all, one of the items on the agenda for Wednesday/Thursday is “Safeguarding Policy & Guidelines,” which includes sexual harassment. Surely, Johri couldn’t be seen offering his views on that subject!
Lady journalists too, by the way, would be covered. Besides, of course, women cricketers as also employees of the ICC and other cricket organisations.
It’s hugely disappointing that a nudge from the ICC was required for the CoA to stop Johri from taking off for Singapore.
The Chief Executives’ meeting will be followed by the ICC’s board meeting, where “policy decisions” are taken. Amitabh Choudhary, acting secretary of the Board, would attend both.
Meanwhile, trust Aditya Verma of the Cricket Association of Bihar, to add fuel to fire.
The Patna-based Verma claims Johri “deputed” a senior employee of the PR agency handling the Board’s account to “buy” his silence on the lady employee’s complaint against him.
Verma has already raised the matter with the CoA, accusing Rai, in particular, of brushing things under the carpet.
Some of the WhatsApp messages do expose the PR agency’s employee, but the individual in question insisted his trip to Patna (last month) had largely been for a family matter. He didn’t, however, deny meeting Verma.
The PR agency employee’s stand is that he’d only responded to a “call for help” from somebody who too is from Bihar. Verma, who has had multiple issues with the Board in general and with certain individuals, has a very different take.
Somebody, clearly, isn’t telling the truth.
If the PR agency’s employee, indeed, did travel to Patna at Johri’s behest then that alone calls for a probe and explanations are needed from many.
The CoA must initiate an independent enquiry and make the report public.
