Meghalaya cricket body chief condemns cover-up of sexual harassment complaint by U-23 women’s team

A day after the Meghalaya State Commission for Women (MSCW) summoned four Meghalaya Cricket Association (MCA) officials in connection with alleged sexual harassment of the state women’s under-23 cricket team, association president James PK Sangma said he was being kept in the dark about the complaints filed in December 2025.

In a statement issued on Saturday (May 23, 2026), Mr Sangma condemned the “cover-up” of sexual harassment complaints, alleging that MCA secretary Rayonald Kharkamni had tried to bury the matter for almost six months.

Mr Kharkamni is one of four MCA officials summoned by MSCW chairman Iamonlang Syiem for the May 26 hearing. The others are former president Nababrata Bhattacharjee, former treasurer Dhrubajyoti Thakuria and former Shining Star cricket operations manager Lyngdoh.

“…the allegations… deeply concern me… and demand that they be treated with the full seriousness they deserve. Sexual harassment, in any form and in any setting, be it a sports association or any other institution or organisation, is totally unacceptable,” Mr Sangma wrote in a statement sent to The Hindu on Sunday. (May 24, 2026).

Mr. Sangma took over as MCA president on January 16, more than a month after 15 members of the U-23 women’s cricket team filed a complaint against the team’s head coach and manager with the association on December 3, 2025. The incidents allegedly took place during a cricket tournament in Agartala, Tripura.

The matter was reportedly buried as the MCA headed for its elections on 19 December 2025.

“Feigning ignorance in the name of elections when there was a bigger issue at hand, misleading everyone when no inquiry has been done till date or even the basic response given to the complainants tells a bigger story of what MCA was and still is to some people in it,” Mr Sangma said.

He criticized the decision to include the accused team manager in the nomination list for the North East Cricket Development Council U-23 Women’s T20 Trophy held from April 6 to 11 in Sikkim.

Mr. Sangma said the issue of sexual harassment came to light when the aggrieved U-23 women’s cricket team filed a complaint on May 8 with the MCA Ombudsman, retired Justice BD Agarwal. He said he has requested that the ombudsman look into the complaints and launch a detailed investigation.

Mr Sangma said the MCA secretary called the meeting on May 9 without keeping him in the dark with the “apparent aim of completely sidelining the office of the ombudsman, which would have the effect of nullifying any independent intervention in this very matter of sexual harassment”.

He said he would approach the Meghalaya High Court to ensure that “technical nuances” do not scuttle the Ombudsman’s inquiry against dubious officials.

Published – 24 May 2026 20:07 IST