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BCCI forms committee for sexual harassment complaints

September 20, 2021 19:58 IST

The presiding officer of the IC shall be a woman employed at a senior level at the Workplace. 

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IMAGE: Until now, the BCCI did not have a specific policy to deal with complaints of sexual harassment. It formed an internal committee after sexual harassment allegations surfaced against then CEO Rahul Johri, who eventually resigned. Photograph: Arko Datta/Reuters

The Board of Control for Cricket in India BCCI ratified a comprehensive Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) policy, which also brings Indian cricketers into its ambit.

Until now, the BCCI did not have a specific policy to deal with matters of sexual harassment. The policy is also applicable to office-bearers, members of the Apex Council and IPL Governing Council, besides cricketers from senior to the Under-16 level.

 

In a nine-page document, the BCCI states that a four-member Internal Committee will be formed to investigate sexual harassment complaints. It did not name the members during its Apex Council meeting on Monday.

"The presiding officer of the IC shall be a woman employed at a senior level at the Workplace ("Presiding Officer")," reads the policy.

"2 members of the IC will be selected from among the employees, preferably who are committed to the cause of women or have experience in social work or have legal knowledge.

"1 member of the IC will be selected from a Non-Governmental Organization or association committed to the cause of women or a person familiar with issues relating to sexual harassment (“External Member”). At least one half of the members of the IC will be women."

The complainant must file the complaint within three months from the date of the incident and the IC will give seven working days to the accused to respond to the allegations. The respondent gets 10 days to respond.

The ICC gets 90 days from the date of complaint to complete its inquiry and forward its recommendations to the BCCI which will act on it within 60 days. The complainant or respondent can go to court if they are not satisfied with BCCI's verdict.

"That must be done within 90 days of the receipt of the report of the IC."

The penalties include censure, counselling, community services, warning, fine loss of pay, loss of seniority, termination of employment among others.

BCCI to pay US $1.5m to Emirates Cricket Board for hosting T20 World Cup

"BCCI is paying ECB a fixed fee of USD 1.5 million (from our host fee of USD 13.5 Million) and operational costs of USD 5.5 million which will be covered by ICC. Total fee payable is USD 7Millon," read an official note.

Majority of the matches will be played in the UAE.

Oman Cricket, which is hosting six matches, gets a fee of US $400,000.

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