Head of India's cricket board accused of sexual harassment
Rahul Johri, CEO of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, has been accused of sexual assault while with a previous employer.
The CEO of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Rahul Johri, has been accused by an unidentified woman of assaulting her at his home while he was working with another organisation.
Johri was accused in an account shared by Indian author Harnidh Kaur on Twitter.
"The truth is, it was so sudden and so manipulated that I had no chance at even knowing what the hell this was," the unidentified woman wrote.
Before joining the BCCI, Johri was the Executive Vice-President and General Manager for Discovery Network Asia Pacific. It was during this tenure that he allegedly assaulted the woman.
Johri's name is the latest on a long list of names that have been accused of sexual misbehaviour by the #MeToo campaign on social media.
This is the first case of the movement allegedly involving an official of the Indian cricket administration.
A week to submit an explanation
Taking note of the accusation against Johri, the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) on Saturday asked the CEO to give an explanation.
"There are certain media reports today, including in the social media, pertaining to Rahul Johri," the CoA said in a statement.
"These reports disclose allegations of sexual harassment made against Mr Johri, by an unnamed persons through a Twitter handle. The allegations also related to his previous employment with a large media house.
"Though the said allegations do not pertain to his employment with the BCCI, the Committee of Administrators of the BCCI has deemed it appropriate to seek an explanation from Mr Johri in relation to the allegations. He has been asked to submit his explanation within a week. The future course of action will be considered on receipt of his explanation," it added.
The #MeToo movement has made headlines in India over the last few days with women sharing accounts of alleged harassment by numerous powerful men.
Last week, the production of Bollywood blockbuster 'Housefull 4' was halted after the protagonist of the film made harassment claims against its director and co-star.