Sourav Ganguly, former captain of the Indian cricket team and current president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), along with his wife Dona Ganguly, have received death threats, prompting a police investigation in Kolkata. The threats, which have been arriving in letters over several months, escalated recently, leading to a formal complaint being lodged with the authorities.
According to police, Sourav Ganguly complained that he had received multiple threatening letters over the past few months. One of these letters specifically warned of killing him and his wife. The police have since initiated an investigation to identify the sender and determine their motive.
Investigation Underway
A written complaint was filed by Sourav Ganguly at the Thakurpukur Police Station in south Kolkata. This action followed the receipt of the latest threatening letter at Ganguly’s office on a Monday. Reports indicate that letters containing threats had been arriving in the name of the former BCCI president for approximately six months. Initially, these communications were not taken seriously.
However, the situation changed when two letters were received at his office on Monday. These letters contained explicit threats to kill Ganguly and his wife, and also to harm individuals close to him. These details were part of the police complaint lodged by the former cricketer’s manager. Investigators are currently examining the contents of these letters and working to establish the identity of the sender and their motivations.
The Kolkata Police STF and the directorate of security have commenced a probe into the matter. The STF has reportedly identified a location situated 32km from the Gangulys’ Behala house, believed to be the origin point of the threat letters. Police were conducting raids at this site when the latest reports emerged.
Details of the Threats
An FIR (First Information Report) was filed by Sourav Ganguly’s personal secretary, Taniya Bhattacharya, at Thakurpukur PS. This report states that regular letters containing serious threats against Sourav Ganguly, his family, and staff have been received over the past four months. While previous letters were largely disregarded, the most recent two explicitly stated the sender’s intention to “eliminate” Ganguly and asserted that nothing could prevent this action.
Family sources have indicated that such threatening letters have been arriving for about six months. These were initially dismissed as communications from overly zealous fans. However, the consistent nature of these threats and the increasingly aggressive language used in the latest correspondence prompted the family to seek police intervention. The latest letter, opened at the office of the Bengal cricket president on Monday, was written entirely in English and contained explicit threats to “eliminate” or “finish” the cricketer and his family.
The formal written complaint lodged at Thakurpukur Police Station has also led to the state government’s security department being alerted. They have been requested to take immediate steps to address the situation. The complaint detailed that for the past couple of months, letters with objectionable remarks against Mr. Ganguly had been received from an unknown person. While initially not given much attention, the recent letters escalated to explicit threats to life and personal safety of Mr. Ganguly, Mrs. Dona Ganguly, and people working with them.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the letters were sent via courier to the Ganguly residence. The sender’s name on the package was listed as Arun Kumar, a resident of Belgharia. Investigators have traced a phone number mentioned in the letter, and a ‘Truecaller’ search reportedly revealed the same name. Police are now investigating whether the actual Arun Kumar is responsible for sending the letters or if someone is using his identity to target the former India skipper. Police officials have assured Ganguly’s PA that an investigation has begun and all necessary measures are being taken to ensure the safety of Mr. Ganguly and his family.
Given Ganguly’s public profile as former BCCI president and India captain, the security department is reviewing the threat to assess if additional security measures are required for his family in Kolkata. The police investigation is ongoing following the complaint lodged on Monday.
Source: m.rediff.com
