Kolkata police investigate death threats to Sourav Ganguly and wife
Kolkata police launch investigation into death threats received by former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly and his wife Dona Ganguly. Read more here.
Sourav Ganguly, wife receive death threats; probe launched
Threat Letters Prompt Police Investigation
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 reportedly received multiple death threats. These threats have led to the initiation of a police investigation in Kolkata.
According to a senior officer, Sourav Ganguly lodged a complaint with the police after receiving several threatening letters over the past few months. One of these communications explicitly warned of killing him and his wife. The police have since launched an inquiry to identify the sender and ascertain their motives.
The latest letter, which prompted the formal complaint, was delivered to Sourav Ganguly’s office on Monday. Following this, a written complaint was filed at the Thakurpukur Police Station in south Kolkata. The letters, which allegedly began arriving in the name of the former BCCI president approximately six months ago, were initially not treated with serious concern.
However, the nature of the threats escalated. On Monday, his office received two letters that contained explicit threats to eliminate Ganguly and his wife, and also to harm individuals close to him. This information was detailed in the police complaint submitted by the former cricketer’s manager.
Security Review Initiated for Ganguly Family
The receipt of these repeated death threat letters has led to a security review for the high-profile family in Kolkata. The Kolkata Police STF and the directorate of security have commenced a probe into the matter. The STF has reportedly identified a location situated 32 kilometres from the Ganguly’s Behala residence, believed to be the origin point of some of the threat letters. Raids were reportedly underway at this site.
An FIR was filed by Sourav Ganguly’s personal secretary, Taniya Bhattacharya, at Thakurpukur Police Station. This report indicated that regular letters containing serious threats against Sourav Ganguly, his family, and staff had been received over the past four months. While previous communications were disregarded, the most recent two letters explicitly stated the sender’s intention to ‘eliminate’ Ganguly and asserted that nothing could prevent this action.
Family sources confirmed that such letters had been arriving for about six months. Initially, these were dismissed as communications from overly enthusiastic fans. However, the persistent nature of the threats and the increasingly aggressive language used in the most recent correspondence compelled the family to contact the police. A formal written complaint has been lodged with the authorities, and the state government’s security department has been informed, with requests for immediate action.
The complaint described a “matter of serious concern regarding certain threatening letters” received by Mr. Sourav Ganguly and his family. It noted that for several months, letters with objectionable remarks against Mr. Ganguly had been received. Initially, these were not given much attention, presumed to be from individuals expressing personal resentment. However, the two letters received recently contained not only hate remarks but also serious threats to the life and safety of Mr. Ganguly, Mrs. Dona Ganguly, and their staff. The complaint emphasized that the threats had escalated from derogatory communication to explicit threats to life and personal safety, necessitating immediate police intervention and investigation.
The complaint urged the police to take necessary action, register and investigate the complaint, identify the person responsible for sending the letters, and ensure the safety and security of Mr. Sourav Ganguly, Mrs. Dona Ganguly, and their staff. Police officials have assured Ganguly’s personal assistant that an investigation has begun and all necessary measures are being taken to ensure the safety of the family. Given Ganguly’s public profile, the security department is assessing the threat to determine if additional security measures are required.
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, identified as a resident of Belgharia. Investigators have also traced a phone number mentioned in the letter, which reportedly yielded the same name through a ‘Truecaller’ search. Police are currently investigating whether the actual Arun Kumar is indeed the sender, or if someone is using his identity to target the former India skipper.
Source: m.rediff.com
Rohan Gupta
Sports Reporter
