SHILLONG, June 27: Drawing a battle line within the state’s cricketing elite, Meghalaya Cricket Association (MCA) president James Sangma has cut ties with suspended secretary Rayonald Kharkamni, announcing the association will neither defend nor fund legal challenges against the Women’s Commission findings in a landmark sexual harassment case.
Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Sangma stated that the Meghalaya State Commission for Women (MSCW) order is directed at specific individuals rather than the MCA as an institution. He confirmed the association would not approach the court or bear the legal expenses of any individual named in the report.
“The MCA is not going to court. If anyone wants to challenge the order, it is their personal decision and they will have to do so at their own expense,” Sangma said.
The case involves allegations from members of the state’s Under-23 women’s cricket team. Rejecting claims that the proceedings were a “political vendetta,” Sangma argued that such narratives trivialise the survivors’ experiences. He praised the complainants for their courage, noting that their silence could have allowed the abuse to continue.
Addressing the timeline of the internal failure, Sangma claimed the written complaints were submitted to previous office bearers in December 2025, months before the current executive took charge. He maintained he only became aware of the matter once it reached the MSCW and entered the public domain. He further alleged that the then-secretary failed to include the complaints in the handover notes or place them before the new Apex Council when the current executive assumed office in March—a lapse also noted by the Commission.
While the harassment case remains the central issue, Sangma also flagged financial irregularities within the association. He alleged that several expenditures from the previous administration were never approved by the Apex Council, with preliminary scrutiny revealing inflated bills and irregular practices. He stated that measures are now in place to ensure greater financial accountability.
The MSCW’s June 26 order directed disciplinary action against former MCA officials after finding that the harassment complaints were ignored for months despite being received by the association in December 2025.
