It’s being talked about in hushed tones, but is still doing the rounds in and around the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

The central figures are Rahul Johri, the Board’s CEO and the subject of an inquiry into allegations of sexual harassment, and a “most influential” individual in the capital.

Given the “most influential” individual’s reach, nobody is taking his name, but The Telegraph understands that a “concerted effort” is definitely on to save Johri.

It’s possible, of course, that some person or persons could be using the “most influential” individual’s name without his consent, but few would actually dare do that.

Perhaps, it’s because of the “most influential” individual that Chandra Kishore Khanna, acting president of the Board, didn’t make the trip to Mumbai to depose before the independent panel.

Justice (Retd) Rakesh Sharma chairs the panel. Barkha Singh and Veena Gowda are his colleagues.

Constituted single-handedly by Vinod Rai, who heads the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators, the panel is supposed to submit its report by Thursday.

The deadline may get extended.

Johri should have been suspended pending the completion of the probe. Instead, with Rai’s ‘blessings’, he’s “working from home.”

Diana Edulji, the second Administrator, sought stringent action against Johri, but was overruled by Rai. That’s why she stayed away from the process of appointing the panel.

Both Rai and Diana deposed together, on Monday. If only what each said was officially put out in the public domain!

It’s significant that the high-flying co-founder and CEO of the Flipkart Group, Binny Bansal, resigned following allegations of “grave personal misconduct.” According to Reuters, it involved “sexual assault.”

Officially, an independent inquiry didn’t find anything improper against Bansal, but there were “lapses in judgement,” not expected of a CEO and co-founder.

Even journalist-turned-politician M.J. Akbar had to recently quit the Narendra Modi government after #MeToo allegations.

It’s about setting standards and it’s about good governance.

Of the three office-bearers of the Board, only treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry deposed. Khanna stayed away, while acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary isn’t available before November 20 owing to his mother’s demise.

Johri, it’s learnt, deposed on Tuesday afternoon. Confirmation wasn’t possible, but a couple of well-placed sources suggested that, with breaks, his deposition lasted “around seven hours.”

Neither of the well-placed sources could say if Johri deposed with a lawyer by his side.

The “most influential” individual in the capital isn’t the only one either at play directly or through ‘messengers’ in the Johri case. Indeed, an attempt has been made by two other individuals to influence either a complainant (who is overseas) or a witness.

One is an employee of the Board, which in itself calls for a probe, and the other is somebody with fingers in multiple pies.

This Reporter is aware of the identity of both individuals.

Clearly, it appears, Johri has tapped all sources from where pressure may get applied.