Kolkata police investigate death threats to Sourav Ganguly and wife
Threats to Former Cricket Captain
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 death threats. This development has prompted the Kolkata Police to launch an investigation into the matter.
According to police officials, Ganguly lodged a complaint at the Thakurpukur Police Station in south Kolkata. The complaint was filed after the latest in a series of threatening letters was received at Ganguly’s office on Monday. These communications have allegedly been arriving for several months, with some reports indicating a period of around six months.
Initially, these letters were not taken seriously, with family sources suggesting they were dismissed as notes from overzealous fans. However, the nature of the most recent communications, which included explicit threats to harm Ganguly and his wife, led to the decision to involve law enforcement.
Police Investigation Underway
The Kolkata Police STF and the directorate of security have initiated a probe into the threats. Investigators are currently examining the contents of the letters to determine the identity and motive of the sender. One report indicates that the STF has identified a location approximately 32 kilometres from the Gangulys’ Behala residence, believed to be the origin point of some of the threat letters.
The police complaint, filed by Ganguly’s personal secretary, Taniya Bhattacharya, at Thakurpukur Police Station, details that regular letters containing serious threats to Sourav, his family, and staff have been received over the past four months. While earlier ignored, the most recent two letters explicitly stated the sender’s intent to eliminate Ganguly and asserted that nothing could prevent this action.
The latest letter, received on Monday at the office of the Bengal cricket president, was reportedly written entirely in English. It contained explicit threats to ‘eliminate’ or ‘finish’ the cricketer and his family. The state government’s security department has also been alerted and asked to take immediate steps to address the situation.
Security Review and Further Details
Given Ganguly’s public profile as a former BCCI president and India captain, the security department is reviewing the threat. This review aims to assess whether additional security measures are necessary for Ganguly and his family. The police have assured Ganguly’s personal assistant that all necessary measures are being taken to ensure the safety of the family.
Preliminary investigations suggest that some of the letters were sent via courier to the Ganguly residence. The sender’s name on one of the packets was listed as Arun Kumar, identified as a resident of Belgharia. Investigators have also traced a phone number mentioned in one of the letters, with a ‘Truecaller’ search reportedly revealing the same name.
Authorities are now working to ascertain whether the individual named Arun Kumar is indeed the sender of the letters, or if someone else is using his identity to target the former India skipper. The investigation continues to establish the full scope of the threats and to ensure the safety of Sourav Ganguly and his family.
Source: m.rediff.com
