Shillong, Nov 6: The Meghalaya Cricket Association Honorary Secretary Rayonald Kharkamni lost the latest chapter in his fight against MCA President James PK Sangma after the association’s Ombudsman Justice (retd) BD Agarwal decided that Kharkamni’s suspension should continue for the rest of this Apex Council’s term, that is until December 2028.
The decision came exactly a week after the Meghalaya High Court had similarly found against Kharkamni.
Ostensibly, the case began with complaints of sexual harassment by U-23 women cricketers. These complaints were directed at the coach and manager of the team but Kharkamni and former MCA members were drawn in for allegedly not acting on the complaints when they were first made in December last year.
The complaint was then taken up by the Meghalaya State Commission for Women (MSCW), which recommended action against the coach, manager, Kharkamni and the former members. At the end of June Sangma, using MCA emergency powers, suspended Kharkamni and sacked the coach Hemant Roy and manager Sanjay Mandal. No action was taken against the others as they were no longer connected to the MCA.
The matter was then referred to the Ombudsman and here the matter went to the High Court as Kharkamni argued that Justice Agarwal was improperly appointed and that Sangma did not have the power to suspend him unilaterally. The court, however, upheld both the suspension (as it was a temporary and not permanent measure) and the appointment of the Ombudsman (even though the court said that the procedure followed was not strictly in keeping with the MCA constitution).
Following the conclusion of the court case, the Ombudsman restarted consideration of the complaint against Kharkamni, who did not appoint any legal counsel to take up the matter with Justice Agarwal.
The Ombudsman, in his order today, said that Kharkamni had shown “laxity” in the way he dealt with the sexual harassment complaint that meant he cannot be shown any leniency.
According to the victims’ complaints, which was upheld by the MSCW, Kharkamni “did not give any credence to their grievances” but rather “rewarded the head coach of sexual assault by giving him renewed appointment. This is a really shocking treatment to the women players.”
Justice Agarwal thus ordered that his suspension continue until the end of the term of the present Apex Council, that is until December 2028. Kharkamni was also ordered to hand over all MCA property, files, records (physical and digital) and also access to credentials and equipment in his possession to the President.
