What next for divided house?

The panel’s — headed by former Allahabad High Court judge Rakesh Sharma — report will not be made public.
BCCI CEO Rahul Johri (File | PTI)
BCCI CEO Rahul Johri (File | PTI)

CHENNAI: The clock is ticking. There is an air of suspense in BCCI’s corridors regarding when the independent panel probing the sexual-harassment charges against CEO Rahul Johri will table its report.
As things stood on Sunday evening, its final draft was being compiled. There are whispers that the verdict may either come late in the night when most of the country has gone to sleep or on Monday.  

The panel’s — headed by former Allahabad High Court judge Rakesh Sharma — report will not be made public. Only key findings will be uploaded to BCCI’s website and a PR agency will send out a tactfully-re--worded press release.Whichever way the outcome goes, sources in BCCI reveal that CoA have taken a gamble by going for an independent panel, as there is every possibility that the issue may take a legal turn.
This case has followed the same pattern as the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal. When the four cricketers were banned, BCCI  had formed an independent panel comprising two retired high-court judges to look into the allegations of the involvement of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals owners. 

The end result was a clean chit to both, subsequently quashed by Bombay High Court. It found that “there was disparity in the evidence collected by the probe panel”, allowing Aditya Verma to knock on Supreme Court’s doors, ultimately leading to the crumbling of the BCCI empire.

That Vinod Rai despite Diana Edulji’s opposition has taken a similar route rather than acting on the issue defies logic. Especially when taking into consideration the bad press the board has gotten ever since the allegations against Johri have surfaced.

Like it happened with the formation of the independent panel in 2013, this committee too was made without a consensus, as Edulji wanted BCCI to look beyond Johri. Instead, the latter has only been sent on leave in a manner that is similar to how N Srinivasan temporarily stepped aside as president in 2013.
The worst part is that — as several sources in BCCI have indicated — Johri continues to work from home, with some official mails being marked to him.

The probe itself has raised a few questions, with a BCCI employee asking one of those who testified against Johri to not go ahead and meet the panel. An author-turned-pundit even spoke to one of the complainants, asking her to not press charges. Add the 11 women colleagues of Johri who have vouched for his character in front of CoA, and the way this entire issue has been handled does resemble the IPL spot-fixing case. 

With CoA’s relationship with BCCI’s old guard not on good terms, the former have acted on their own. Rai alone, in fact, as Edulji has distanced herself from the panel. Amidst all this, the very reason why the panel was formed seems lost. On taking charge, Rai wanted to be a night-watchman, but he has been in the chair for over a year-and-a-half now, having almost forgotten what he was originally called for. 

The apex court’s deadline to conduct state unit elections is long over. Until that happens, BCCI cannot have a fresh guard. With CoA — now downsized to two — divided and the CEO on leave, and office-bearers having their own share of issues, BCCI is staring at uncertainty more than ever. 

What next for CoA and BCCI, then? May be Shishir Hattangadi, who deposed against Johri in the case, might have tweeted what many would like to see. “Smell the coffee @BCCI. There are sponsors and fans that back the game. Please dont undermine or ignore their contribution to the sport and the institution. Credibility and Cleanliness is a huge factor for sponsors backing a sport and the body that runs it!”
venkatakrishna@newindianexpress.com

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