The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has slapped a two-year ban on journalist Boria Majumdar after it found him guilty of threatening and intimidating wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha. The controversy arose when Saha had put out a series of tweets in February this year where he had detailed his conversation with a journalist who had apparently taken offence at the cricketer for disregarding his calls for an interview following which he warned Saha of not taking ‘insults kindly’.
In order to probe the incident, BCCI formed a committee comprising Rajeev Shukla (BCCI Vice President), Arun Singh Dhumal (Treasurer) and Prabhtej Singh Bhatia (Councillor). The journalist has now been banned for two years from getting any accreditation as a member of the press in any of the cricket matches (domestic and international) in India, getting any interview with any registered players in India and getting access to any of BCCI and members associations owned cricket facilities.
Here is the full text of the letter sent by BCCI to its members:
As you may be aware, Mr. Wriddhiman Saha had shared screenshots of messages sent by a journalist on social media platform, Twitter, wherein he stated that he felt bullied by the conduct of the said journalist. Mr. Saha in the hearing named Mr. Boria Majumdar as the journalist.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India had taken cognizance of this incident and deemed it necessary to investigate and probe the matter to avoid the recurrence of such instances with other players.
In this regard, BCCI formed a committee comprising Mr. Rajeev Shukla, Vice President, BCCI, Mr. Arun Singh Dhumal, Treasurer, BCCI and Mr. Prabhtej Singh Bhatia, Councillor, BCCI (“BCCI Committee”). The key issues for deliberation for the BCCI Committee in the matter was to ascertain if the messages sent by the journalist were in the nature of threat and intimidation.
The BCCI Committee considered the submissions by both Mr. Saha and Mr. Majumdar and concluded that the actions by Mr. Majumdar were indeed in the nature of threat and intimidation.
The BCCI Committee recommended the following sanctions to the Apex Council of BCCI. The Apex Council of BCCI agreed with the recommendations of the BCCI Committee and imposed the following sanctions:
i. 2 (two) year ban on getting any accreditation as a member of the press in any of the cricket matches (domestic and international) in India;
ii. 2 (two) year ban on getting any interview with any registered players in India; and
iii, 2 (two) year ban on access to any of BCCI and members associations owned cricket facilities.
In view of the above, we hereby request you to kindly facilitate the compliance of the aforementioned sanctions in your respective associations.