SHILLONG, Oct 26: Meghalaya Cricket Association (MCA) honorary secretary Rayonald Kharkamni, who was suspended over his alleged failure to act on sexual harassment complaints by Under-23 women cricketers, has been appointed convener of the North East Zone for the BCCI Senior Women’s T20 Inter Zonal Tournament 2026-27.
The appointment, made following a nomination by the zone’s member associations, comes while Kharkamni’s suspension by MCA president James PK Sangma remains in force. The Meghalaya High Court has not stayed the suspension, which is also linked to separate contempt proceedings before the court.
Kharkamni and four other members of the MCA Apex Council had challenged the suspension. A September 7, 2026, meeting convened to revoke it has also become the subject of a legal dispute, with the High Court yet to deliver its judgment.
The latest appointment marks the second occasion on which Kharkamni has participated in an official cricket-related activity despite his suspension. He had earlier attended a meeting to select players from the Northeast for the Duleep Trophy. The development has also drawn attention because Meghalaya was not allowed to participate in this year’s BCCI Annual General Meeting.
The controversy stems from complaints by members of Meghalaya’s Under-23 women’s team following a tournament in Agartala, Tripura, in December last year. The Meghalaya State Commission for Women (MSCW), which investigated the matter earlier this year, found that Kharkamni and three former MCA officials — former president Naba Bhattacharjee, former treasurer Dhrubajyoti Thakuria and former cricket operations manager Shining Star Lyngdoh — were aware of alleged harassment of players by the team’s head coach and manager.
The MSCW found the coach and manager guilty of inappropriate behaviour, following which the MCA imposed lifetime bans on both. Kharkamni’s alleged role in concealing the matter was referred to the MCA ombudsman, BD Agarwal, a retired High Court judge. Kharkamni subsequently challenged Agarwal’s appointment after proceedings began.
Media reports have also alleged that players faced threats from Kharkamni and Shillong Cricket Association president Peter Macdonald Kharsawian and were pressured into making statements in support of the officials. These allegations have not been independently established in the information provided.
Kharkamni had earlier told that the association received one formal complaint in December, during a period marked by MCA elections and a change of office-bearers. He acknowledged that the complaint should have been taken seriously but said an inquiry committee could not be formed during the transition.
In his new role, Kharkamni will oversee the selection of the North East Zone women’s team for the tournament, which is scheduled to be held in Assam. The zone comprises Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim.
He has convened a selection meeting in Guwahati in the first week of November to choose a 15-member squad. The six state associations have been asked to recommend selectors by October 30 for the zonal selection committee.
Mamon Majumdar, a member of the IPL Governing Council, is expected to attend the selection proceedings. Kharkamni will also nominate the team’s support staff, including the head coach, assistant coach, physiotherapist, trainer, performance analyst, masseuse and manager.
