Former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly and his wife, Odissi dancer Dona Ganguly, have allegedly received letters threatening to kill them, prompting Kolkata Police to launch an investigation, officials said. Ganguly’s office had received several letters containing objectionable remarks over the past few months, but these were initially not taken seriously. The matter escalated after two letters containing explicit death threats against Ganguly and his wife arrived at his office, according to the complaint. The matter was subsequently reported to the Thakurpukur police station in south Kolkata by Ganguly’s secretary.
“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 the complaint. The latest letters, however, allegedly threatened to kill the former Indian skipper and his wife and also warned of harm to people close to him.
According to the complaint, the sender identified himself as “Arun”, while the letters were allegedly dispatched from Belghoria in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district. Police have begun examining the contents and source of the letters and are attempting to establish the identity and motive of the person behind the threats. Investigators are also examining the courier trail connected to the threatening letters. Police have contacted the courier agency concerned and traced a mobile number that may help identify 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 was quoted as saying. Police are examining the movement of the SIM card allegedly used by the sender and have spoken to representatives of the courier service as part of the investigation. Investigators are also trying to determine whether all the threatening and objectionable letters received by Ganguly’s office over recent months originated from the same person.
The repeated threats have prompted a security review concerning Ganguly and his family, according to reports. Ganguly, one of India’s most successful former cricket captains, also served as president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) between 2019 and 2022. He remains one of the most prominent sporting personalities in West Bengal.
Dona Ganguly is a noted Odissi dancer and runs the Diksha Manjari dance institution in Kolkata. Neither Ganguly nor his wife had issued an immediate public statement on the alleged threats. Police said the investigation was underway, with officers focusing on the letters, courier records, mobile number and other available evidence to trace the person responsible and determine the motive behind the threats.