Mumbai: The Maharashtra State Commission for Women (MSCW) and the Mumbai police have officially closed the case involving the MIG Cricket Club’s president Mihir Bapat for allegedly displaying private chats of four women members during a meeting in December 2024. The MSCW and the police cited insufficient evidence.
The matter originated from a complaint filed in January this year by certain members of the prestigious Bandra club against Bapat and his wife Swati Bapat.
The dispute arose after an urgent joint meeting of the managing committee and board of trustees on December 23, 2024, convened by Mihir Bapat. During the session, screenshots from a private WhatsApp chat group of club members were allegedly presented, revealing discussions that included derogatory remarks about Swati Bapat.
The complainants (club members) alleged a privacy breach, claiming the chats were accessed without their consent. However, the Bapats claimed that the leaked conversations were part of a premeditated smear campaign, with the messages shared with them by one member from the group of complainants.
“This was a clear attempt to ruin our reputation. The leaked screenshots were submitted by my wife as evidence of the slanderous campaign against us,” Bapat stated.
After nearly two months of inquiry, the authorities concluded their investigations on April 4. The investigating officer from Kherwadi police station, Amit Tiwari, said they recorded the statements of both the parties and a thorough probe was conducted. “However, we did not find any proof against Mihir Bapat, following which we have closed the case.”
The MSCW, too, found no substantial evidence to support the allegations against the Bapats, and highlighted a one-month delay in filing the complaint. The commission’s report highlighted that club secretary Srikanth Shetty noted in the minutes of the meeting that the issue appeared to involve an economic fraud, with attempts by the complainants to link it to the use of defamatory language on social media.
Following the incident, the club, too, set up a legal committee to initiate internal action. The committee recommended issuing show-cause notices to the club members involved for “… causing significant reputational harm to the Bapats... such conduct includes unsubstantiated allegations, circulation of defamatory material, and participation in conversations that carried hostile undertones, all of which have adversely affected the standing, dignity, and social repute of the said members,” reads the report.
The club’s spokesperson said that the legal committee’s report, along with its recommendations, has been submitted to the managing committee, which will determine the future course of internal action at the club.
