Yes, according to an allegation made by Cricket Association of Bihar’s secretary Aditya Verma in his email to Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrator (COA) chief Vinod Rai on Saturday.
Has there been a complaint of sexual harassment against a top Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) employee? And did the board officials meet the victim to discuss the matter?
Yes, according to an allegation made by Cricket Association of Bihar’s secretary Aditya Verma in his email to Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrator (COA) chief Vinod Rai on Saturday.
In his letter, Verma reminded Rai about how the victim (a female executive) along with her husband met the COA chief at a five star hotel in Mumbai.
“On or about February 27, 2018 at around 8 am, the lady executive and her husband along with Ms Diana Edulji met you at the Trident Hotel in Mumbai regarding the matter where it (sexual harassment) was discussed in detail.
“It was informed there that since there is no written complaint no action could be taken. On the March 2, 2018, a complaint was made to you by the employee by way of an email. On the March 5, you called the senior male executive (alleged accused) back to Delhi just as he had landed in Mumbai from Delhi and he came back to Delhi to meet you,” wrote Verma, citing an meeting between COA and victim.
Repeated attempts from DNA through out Saturday to contact Rai and Edulji went futile as both did not answer calls.
Meanwhile, BCCI secretary Amitabh Choudhary and treasurer Anirudh Chaudhary have called upon the COA to convene an emergency meeting of board officials to discuss the controversial issue.
“To clear the air on any such controversial issue, COA must convene a meeting to ensure that BCCI as an organisation should not lose trust of cricket lovers. Moreover, if these allegations are true then justice should be done to the victim,” said Amitabh.
Anirudh also expressed similar sentiments. “BCCI officials have been told by COA to not inform me about any internal matters. So, I am in no position to comment on this. But situation demands, if these allegations are true, that COA should ensure a proper inquiry as per Apex court guidelines,” he said.
The BCCI’s own complaint committee was formed under Section 4 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (prevention, prohibition and redressal) Act 2013, on April 20, 2018, with Karina Kripalani as presiding officer and Veena Gowda, former player Saba Karim and Rupawati Rao as three other members.
When contacted by DNA regarding the case, Kripalani’s only answer was “I’ve not received any complaint.”
Verma, however, pressed on his allegation of cover-up by BCCI officials. In his second email on Saturday, he wrote, “A strong push was made to pressurise the lady employee to not press the complaint any further while assuring her that she will not be reporting to the senior executive any more.“In that meeting the lady executive had lambasted the senior executive who ended up crying to gain sympathy and ended up writing an apology letter of sorts. Thereafter her reporting head was changed,” wrote Verma.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Aditya Verma")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}