The Board of Control for Cricket in India has issued sanctions against journalist Boria Majumdar after finding him guilty of intimidating Indian wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha.
According to a letter to BCCI members and signed by Hemang Amin, interim CEO of BCCI and COO of the Indian Premier League, the sanctions are:
a) 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;
b) a two-year ban on getting any interview with any registered players in India;
c) a two-year ban on access to any of BCCI and member associations owned cricket facilities.
In February, Saha had tweeted screenshots of messages that he allegedly received from a journalist. The messages appeared to contain threats and intimidation.
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
Saha had received support from several quarters, with many urging him to reveal the journalist’s identity.
Majumdar eventually identified himself through a video on Twitter and claimed that he would take legal action against Saha. He accused the cricketer of doctoring the screenshots of the messages.
The BCCI investigated the matter and concluded that the texts were "indeed in the nature of threat and intimidation". The committee that probed the issue comprised BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla, treasurer Arun Singh Dhumal, and councillor Prabhtej Singh Bhatia.
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