BCCI Bans Journalist Boria Majumdar For 2 Years In Wriddhiman Saha Intimidation Case

The development comes weeks after BCCI set up a committee to look into the matter where Saha took to Twitter to post a screenshot of threatening messages from Majumdar over an interview request.

(File Photo/ Getty)

New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday banned senior sports journalist Boria Majumdar for two years for intimidating cricketer Wriddhiman Saha, news agency ANI reported. The development comes weeks after BCCI set up a three-member committee in February to look into the matter where Saha took to Twitter to post a screenshot of threatening messages from Majumdar over an interview request.

The committee comprised BCCI Vice-President Rajiv Shukla, treasurer Arun Singh Dhumal, and Apex Council member Prabhtej Singh Bhatia.

The ban by the cricketing board means that the journalist will not be allowed inside stadiums and will not be given media accreditation for home matches (domestic or international) for the next two years, a top BCCI official had told news agency IANS.

It all started after Majumdar reportedly bullied, threatened and intimated the wicketkeeper-batsman after the latter was dropped from the Test squad against Sri Lanka in February. Saha alleged that he was intimated by the journalist over his reservations about an interview.

On February 19, Saha took to Twitter and shared a screenshot of his conversation with Majumdar. "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," Saha tweeted along with the screenshot. 

"You did not call. Never again will I interview you. I don't take insults kindly. And I will remember this," one of the messages in the shared chat read.

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Responding to the allegations, Majumdar, a video he put out on social media, claimed that the screenshots of the WhatsApp chat that Saha had put out were doctored versions of an exchange between the two.

"There are always two sides to a story. @Wriddhipops has doctored, tampered screenshots of my WhatsApp chats which have damaged my reputation and credibility. I have requested the @BCCI for a fair hearing. My lawyers are serving @Wriddhipops a defamation notice. Let truth prevail," Majumdar said in a tweet along with the video.

Majumdar's reponse came after Saha met the BCCI's three-member apex committee and shared all the necessary details about the incident.

The issue escalated after former players like Ravi Shastri, Parthiv Patel, Harbhajan Singh, and Virender Sehwag and others supported Shah and slammed the journalist for his behaviour.