Photo Courtesy: nenow
Shillong: The Meghalaya State Commission for Women has ordered the Meghalaya Cricket Association to take disciplinary action against coach Hemant Roy and assistant manager Sanjay Mondal. The ruling follows an inquiry into sexual harassment allegations brought forward by six Under-23 women cricketers.
The commission determined that the conduct of the two men violated the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act. Evidence, including WhatsApp messages and witness testimonies, confirmed that the players suffered from inappropriate remarks and verbal harassment. The players originally reported the incident to the association in December, but they sought help from the commission in May after receiving no response.
MSCW chairperson Iamonlang Syiem stated, "The findings were based on evidence submitted by both parties and material gathered during the inquiry."
As part of the ruling, the commission ordered the immediate suspension of Roy from coaching for three months and prohibited him from working with women's teams moving forward. He must also receive a formal written warning regarding potential termination. The commission recommended that Mondal be fired from his role as assistant manager and issued a demand that he provide a written apology to the complainants. Both men are prohibited from contacting the players involved in the case.
Current MCA president James PK Sangma claimed he was kept in the dark about the initial complaints. He has also raised concerns regarding attempts to obstruct the investigation, noting that attempts were made to suspend the association's ombudsman shortly after the cricketers filed their formal complaint.
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