From wrestling to cricket: are sex allegations still the story of the sports hall?

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By Shekhar Singh

New Delhi, May 7 (IANS): As demand intensifies for action against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh following sexual harassment allegations brought against him by female wrestlers , similar earlier incidents show the dark histories of the country’s sports corridor.

Complaints of sexual harassment are not just limited to wrestling, but are also found in several other sports, including the country’s favorite game, cricket. In light of this situation, it becomes crucial to delve into the complex mechanisms employed by influential men to suppress and conceal such matters.

From corruption to sexual favours, in a revealing briefing, Neeraj Kumar, the former chief adviser of the anti-corruption unit of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), also laid bare a discouraging reality of the administration of cricket in India through his new book.

‘A Cop in Cricket’, written by Neeraj Kumar, the book chronicles his eventful three-year tenure as Chief Adviser of BCCI’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) from 2015 to 2018.

Drawing on his vast experience as an officer in the Indian Police Service (IPS) from 1976, culminating in his retirement as Delhi Police Commissioner in 2013, Kumar delves into the unspoken and shadowy underbelly of the sport’s most popular in India.

Speaking to IANS, Kumar, citing the ongoing wrestlers’ recent protest, said there was a need for an impartial investigation into such allegations.

“The selection of committee members in such allegations or complaints in the investigation is the most important part and most of the time the members are those who are aligned with the allegations,” he said.

Highlighting an international incident, Kumar cited an example, in which he said that after a party during the pandemic at the home of then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, an investigation had been opened by the civil administrator.

“It was an impartial investigation and in the end, according to a report submitted by the administrator, Johnson had to submit his resignation,” added the former police chief.

In his eye-opening book, Kumar paints a scenario where those charged with governing the sport care little about promoting the game or facilitating opportunities for talented cricketers. Instead, their primary goal seems to be to safeguard their own “personal fiefdom”.

Kumar, in his book, makes a serious accusation against Vinod Rai, a self-proclaimed ‘guardian of conscience’ and former Comptroller General of India, who headed the Committee of Trustees (CoA), a panel appointed by the Supreme Court to oversee the BCCI. business, saying he protected Rahul Johri, the former CEO of BCCI, when he faced sexual harassment allegations in 2018.

According to his book, while overseeing travel logistics, Kumar noticed the sudden absence of a female staff member who had been helping him. Upon her return, she confided in Kumar, revealing that she had been sexually harassed by Johri, for a long time. Despite his resignation, Rai advised him to wait before taking further action.

In February 2018, the woman bravely shared her heartbreaking experience with CoA members Rai and Diana Eduljee.

According to Kumar’s account, a few days later he inquired from Rai about the progress of the complaint. Upon observing her, Rai seemed uncomfortable and explained that he had not received any written documentation from the woman. Feeling the need for formal evidence, Kumar helped the woman submit a written complaint to the CoA. However, despite their efforts, no tangible results emerged from the complaint.

Kumar reveals that Johri apparently issued a written apology to the employee, along with a tearful show of remorse. Eduljee later remarked that without his intervention, the aggrieved complainant might not even have received Rahul Johri’s apology letter.

According to Kumar’s account, Rai and Johri shared a father and son-like relationship, and Rai wanted nothing to do with his favorite “prodigal son”.

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