CHENNAI: A day after CoA chief Vinod Rai allowed Rahul Johri to continue as BCCI CEO based on the findings of an independent panel that probed sexual harassment charges against him, questions are being raised. It has come to light that panel member Veena Gowda’s first recommendation which was not made public raised serious concerns over the manner in which the CoA and BCCI handled the issue when an employee complained about Johri last year.
While the recommendations of Retd Justice Rakesh Sharma and Barkha Singh were made public, the first of the three made by Gowda was not. Reliable sources told Express her first recommendation read: “It has been noticed the CoA and the BCCI have not handled the issues raised (by BCCI staff) as per law and in view of the fact that the allegations were against the CEO himself. Effort to close the concerns/disputes between the parties themselves without going through the due process of law has been made.
The CoA and the BCCI should be held accountable.”
When Express contacted Gowda, she said it was up to the CoA to explain why this part was not made public. While the judgment of the panel favoured Johri 2-1, why the CoA chose not to make Gowda’s recommendations public raises more questions against Rai, as his colleague Diana Edulji asked the CEO to tender resignation.
n fact, former Delhi commissioner of police Neeraj Kumar (in pic) too had brought up the same incident when he appeared before the panel. It is understood when Kumar spoke about this, it was not entertained by Sharma. “I mentioned the incident before the committee. But Sharma informed me during the probe that since Johri had already given a written apology and the employee had accepted it, the case stands closed and there was no need to investigate again. And the woman in question
didn’t even depose before the panel,” Kumar told Express.
“But if a written apology was indeed given, it means an untoward incident had happened. Doesn’t it need further investigation? So how can they allow him to continue when Veena Gowda has said his conduct as
CEO of BCCI is unprofessional,” Kumar asked. If Sharma didn’t indeed want to revisit the case, it contradicts a statement issued by the CoA on October 25. “The independent committee may take into account and/or probe all allegations of sexual harassment against Mr. Johri while he was employed with the BCCI... The committee will be free to seek any record or evidence that it desires.”
While the woman in question didn’t depose, it’s not clear why the panel members didn’t reach out to her. While it was stated that anyone who wished to depose before the panel should write to them, the committee was free to seek any evidence.
(venkatakrishna@newindianexpress.com)