Mumbai: Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a series of sanctions against journalist Boria Majumdar for bullying the India wicketkeeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha via text messages.
A BCCI Committee comprising Rajeev Shukla, Vice-President, BCCI, Arun Singh Dhumal, Treasurer, BCCI, Prabhtej Singh Bhatia, Councillor, BCCI has imposed on the journalist a two-year ban on: 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 accessing any of BCCI and members associations owned cricket facilities.
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"As you may be aware, Wriddhiman Saha had shared screenshots of messages sent by a journalist on the social media platform, Twitter, wherein he stated that he felt bullied by the conduct of the said journalist. Saha in the hearing named 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," reads a letter from BCCI.
In this regard, BCCI formed a committee comprising Rajeev Shukla, Vice President, BCCI, Arun Singh Dhumal, Treasurer, BCCI and Prabhtej Singh Bhatia, Councillor, BCCI ("BCCI Committee").
"The key issue 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 Saha and Majumdar and concluded that the actions by Majumdar were indeed in the nature of threat and intimidation," the letter added.
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:
1). 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.
2). 2 (two) year ban on getting any interview with any registered players in India.
3). 2 (two) year ban on access to any of BCCI and members associations owned cricket facilities.
