MUMBAI: The BCCI has imposed a two-year ban on talk show host/journalist Boria Majumdar after its three-member committee found him guilty of intimidating India wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha over an interview request.
On February 25, the BCCI had formed a three-member committee to probe the threat messages given to Saha for declining an interview request.
In an email (TOI has a copy), with the subject: Sanctions against Mr Boria Majumdar, to all the state associations on Wednesday, Hemang Amin, BCCI's interim CEO and IPL COO wrote: "Dear all, 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 BCCI 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, the BCCI formed a committee comprising Rajiv Shukla, vice-president BCCI, Arun Dhumal, treasurer, BCCI and Prabhtej Singh Bhatia, Councillor, BCCI.
The BCCI committee considered the submissions by both Saha and 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 the BCCI agreed with the recommendations of the BCCI Committee and imposed the following sanctions:
1. 2 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 year ban on getting any interview with any registered players in India; and
iii) 2 year ban on access to any of the 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."
