Sourav Ganguly, wife Dona Ganguly receive death threat letters, cops begin probe

The matter came to light after Sourav’s secretary approached Thakurpukur police station to register a complaint.

Former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly and his wife Dona Ganguly allegedly received letters threatening to kill the couple on Monday, police said.

The former BCCI president had been receiving several letters with objectionable remarks in recent months but the matter was initially not taken seriously, his secretary told the police. On Monday, Sourav’s office received two letters, containing explicit threats to kill him and his wife and harm people close to him.

“Initially we didn’t pay much attention to these letters, assuming that they were merely the work of someone who disliked Ganguly and was sending letters expressing his or her personal resentment,” the secretary said in his complaint with Thakurpukur police station in south Kolkata on Tuesday.

The complaint alleged the sender was identified as Arun and the letters were sent from Belghoria in North 24 Parganas district.

The police said they are examining the contents of the letters and trying to confirm the identity and motive of the sender.

"We are taking the complaint seriously and have begun an investigation. We are examining the letters, their source and the courier trail to identify the person responsible," a police officer said on condition of anonymity.

The police, the officer added, have begun examining the movement of the SIM card allegedly used by the sender and have contacted the courier agency concerned to gather details of the consignments. "We have spoken to the people from the courier service and tracked down one mobile number. We are trying to spot it," the officer said.

The police are also ascertaining whether all the letters were sent by the same person, the officer added.

There was no immediate comment from Sourav and his wife at the time of filing this report.

Joydeep Thakur is a Special Correspondent based in Kolkata. He focuses on science, environment, wildlife, agriculture and other related issues.