Two-year ban on sports journalist Boria Majumdar for intimidating Saha: BCCI

Indian sports journalist Boria Majumdar was slapped with a two-year ban by BCCI on Thursday, for threatening and intimidating, Indian wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha. The ban includes complete restriction on press accreditation for any cricket matches in the country; interviewing players with central contract; and access to any state units’ or cricket board’s facilities. This decision was taken on recommendations of a three-member fact-finding committee, comprising Prabhtej Singh Bhatia (BCCI Apex Council member), Arun Dhumal (BCCI Treasurer) and Rajiv Shukla (BCCI Vice-President).

In a letter to all the member units, BCCI interim CEO Hemang Amin has written, “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.”

The fact-finding committee was constituted to look into the matter reported by Saha about getting intimidation and threats from a senior journalist. The matter came into the public domain when Saha tweeted screenshots of a conversation on his personal twitter account on 19 February 2022. This was around the time, when the wicket-keeper batsmen was dropped from the Test team. Saha, who did not divulge the journalist’s name in public, revealed Majumdar’s identity only to the committee.

After all of my contributions to Indian cricket..this is what I face from a so called “Respected” journalist! This is where the journalism has gone. pic.twitter.com/woVyq1sOZX

— Wriddhiman Saha (@Wriddhipops) February 19, 2022