CoA chief Vinod Rai questioned over failure to report sexual harassment case in BCCI in scathing letter

Cricket Association of Bihar (CAB) secretary Aditya Verma has in a scathing mail questioned the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) Committee of Administrators (CoA) chief Vinod Rai for allegedly keeping quiet about a case of sexual harassment against an employee of the BCCI. Verma has gone on to add that it was Rai who failed in his duty to forward the matter to the District Complaints Committee since the board didn’t have a complaint committee to deal with sexual harassment cases. BCCI’s own complaint committee was formed in April 2018.

The mail addressed to Rai, accessed by Hindustan Times, reads: “I wish to remind you that in your position, it was incumbent on you to forward the complaint or the information regarding the complaint of sexual harassment of a very senior official of the BCCI to the District Complaints Committee under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act since the BCCI did not have an internal complaint committee when you were made aware of the incident.

“It is disgraceful that you have even acted against the law to save a very senior employee who presently owes allegiance to you. When the time comes, the communication would also be made public (without disclosing the name of the unfortunate employee who was subject to harassment).”

When contacted, Verma said that it was important to speak out for the right and not fear one’s own fate. “I have always spoken for the truth and I will continue to do so. I just wish to know why did a man of such high integrity not take the matter forward? Why was the matter hushed up? In the past also, I have faced problems for fighting against corruption, but I will not sit quietly. This happened before the complaint committee of the BCCI was formed and action should have been taken right then and there,” he told the Hindustan Times.

In the letter, Verma has also requested the CoA chief to take note of the misdeeds happening in Bihar cricket at the moment. “You have gone ahead and ensured that the presently disqualified BCA members are in charge of the affairs rather than taking action against them. I have repeatedly informed you about the conduct of BCA officials but instead of taking cognizance of their misdeeds, you have encouraged them further and it is clear that you and those reporting to you are complicit in their acts. However, my quest to improve the lot of the Bihar cricketers is one that I believe in and I am dogged in my approach,” he wrote.

Attempts to get in touch with Rai failed as he didn’t pick calls or reply to messages.Speaking to Hindustan Times, another BCCI official said that there isn’t any truth to the whole episode.

First Published: Sep 14, 2018 21:29 IST