A top BCCI official alleged that the India's most successful batswoman has been made a pawn in the war between CEO Rahul Johri and Edulji in the sexual harassment case
The fight within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reached the gloves-are-off-stage. Two developments on Tuesday prove that the situation within the cricket body is getting from bad to worse.
First, former India captain Mithali Raj accused Committee of Administrators (COA) member Diana Edulji and coach Ramesh Powar of bias after she was dropped for the semifinal against England in the ICC Women's World T20.
A reliable source told DNA that the Supreme Court-appointed amicus curiae Gopal Subramanium has requested the Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi to relieve him of his duties in the much-publicised BCCI spot-fixing case.
As far as Mithali's outburst is concerned, a top BCCI official alleged that the India's most successful batswoman has been made a pawn in the war between CEO Rahul Johri and Edulji in the sexual harassment case.
Mithali met Johri on Monday and shot off a letter to COA explaining "how a few people in power are out to destroy her career". But the letter, which was supposed to be kept under wraps, was leaked to the media by 'an insider'.
Mithali, in the letter, said that she was hurt and baffled when she was left out of the Indian team for the World T20 semifinal.
"To put things in perspective, I have always reposed faith in Diana Edulji and have always respected her and her position as a member of the COA.
"Never did I think she will use her position against me, more after hearing what all I had to go through in the Caribbean as I had spoken to her about it," Mithali wrote.
"Her brazen support in the press with regard to the decision of my benching in the semifinal of the T20 World Cup has left me deeply distressed, more because she knows the real facts having spoken to me," Mithali wrote.
"May I say that I am aware that by writing this email I am making myself even more vulnerable. she (Diana) is a COA member while I am just a player," she wrote.
Leaked letter
Mithali's letter was leaked a day after she met Johri on Monday. And the mobile phones of many top BCCI officials, including Edulji, went "out of reach" within no time.
However, BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary minced no words in terming Mithali's outburst as a ploy by Johri or his supporters in BCCI to discredit Edulji for questioning the CEO in the sexual harassment case.
"Mithali has been made a pawn in this ugly war being fought between the two COA members (Edulji and Vinod Rai)," Choudhary told DNA on Tuesday.
"I'm convenor of all the selection committees, be it senior, junior or the women's cricket. I don't know how a BCCI contracted player (Mithali) met Johri, who is yet to undergo counselling sessions as suggested by a member (Veena Gowda) of the independent inquiry committee to probe sexual harassment charges against him. The player did not consult me on such a sensitive issue as team selection during the World T20," said Choudhary.
When asked if action will be initiated against Mithali for breaching the terms of central contract, Choudhary blamed Johri for it. "Look, Mithali has not leaked the letter. It is someone in the board who leaked her letter. And who else but Johri can do this right now to settle scores with Edulji," Choudhary said.
Repeated attempts to reach Johri for his version went futile as his phone was switched off.
SC hearing
Meanwhile, Subramanium's sudden decision has come after Edulji is said to have shot off a letter to him explaining "how BCCI is losing credibility amidst the ongoing stage-managed sexual harassment investigation under the supervision of Vinod Rai".
The development came on a day SC was to hear the BCCI case but the matter was adjourned due to non-availability of the bench.
LEAKED LETTER
- Mithali’s letter was leaked a day after she met Johri on Monday. And the mobile phones of many top BCCI officials, including Edulji, went “out of reach” within no time
- However, BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary minced no words in terming Mithali’s outburst as a ploy by Johri or his supporters in BCCI
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