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Shillong: The Meghalaya State Commission for Women has directed the Meghalaya Cricket Association to take disciplinary action against an Under-23 women's cricket team coach and an assistant manager. The commission determined that the conduct of coach Hemant Roy and assistant manager Sanjay Mondal amounted to sexual harassment under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act of 2013.
Six women cricketers filed a formal complaint in May after their initial reports to association officials in December went ignored. The commission's June 5 order follows an investigation involving testimonies, emails, and WhatsApp records. MSCW chairperson Iamonlang Syiem stated, "The findings were based on evidence submitted by both sides and material collected during the inquiry."
Under the order, Roy is suspended from coaching duties for three months and is prohibited from working with women's teams in the future. He must also receive a formal written warning regarding his conduct. The commission recommended that Mondal be terminated from his role as assistant manager and ordered him to provide a written apology to the players. Both men are barred from contacting the complainants.
This case has prompted significant scrutiny regarding the administration of the Meghalaya Cricket Association. Current president James PK Sangma, who took office in January, alleged that previous officials attempted to suppress the matter. He noted that the association's independent Ombudsman was sidelined shortly after the harassment complaint was filed, a move he described as unconstitutional.
The commission continues to investigate the failure of former officials, including the former president and secretary, to act on the initial complaints. This ruling serves as the first formal outcome in a controversy that has raised serious concerns about athlete safety and institutional accountability within the state cricket organization.
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