Johri’s conduct hurt BCCI: Diana Edulji

New Delhi

With Johri’s resignation being accepted and the BCCI asking him to leave via email on Thursday, Edulji was of the view that the CoA should have handled the matter better and Johri’s conduct ultimately hurt Indian cricket and the image of the board. Edulji threw light on not only the shocker when Johri was allowed to continue despite complaints of sexual harassment against him, but also said that the recent leak of financial information isn’t something new as she had once famously wanted hiring of plumbers to stop leak of confidential information.

Edulji has always been known to follow the rule book and speak for the truth and she says that there was no way that Johri should have been allowed to continue once allegations of sexual harassment were levelled against him from people within the organisation.

“When this matter broke out in October 2018, it was not shocking for me as there was a previous history which we were made aware of. If it was not for me, the poor complainant would have not received her apology letter from Rahul Johri. Even then a lot of pressure was made on the complainant to close the matter. The way things moved, it looked like to me he was going to be covered up. The chairman and I had our differences and I made it clear that as a woman CoA member, I wouldn’t like this person sitting in the same room.

“When the independent committee was formed but that also wasn’t proper and I had objected, but I was overruled on every step I took towards getting justice. In fact, I remember the conversation where it was decided that Johri would be asked to resign. I highlighted to Rai, Johri’s contract clauses that brought disrepute to the BCCI, however, after a day Rai turned down to the mutually agreed stand. And that was that. I disagreed to the forming of the independent committee as one person was conflicted, it is minuted,” she said.