Sourav Ganguly Death Threat: Former Indian Captain’s Mother Gets Warning

Sourav Ganguly has received a death threat. The anonymous death threat comes in the form of a letter addressed to his mother. The former Indian cricket captain, who is widely loved and respected both on and off the field, has confirmed the news to the local media.

Ganguly talked to the press and confirmed that he had received a letter containing the death threat. The letter reached his home by post on Jan. 7. The threat is related to an upcoming event which he is supposed to attend on Jan. 19. Sourav Ganguly, arguably the best cricket captain India has ever produced, is scheduled to attend a felicitation ceremony organized by the Midnapore University.

It was Ganguly’s mother whom the letter is addressed to. According to reports, the letter warns the mother to stop her son from attending the event. The letter indicates that ignoring the threat and going to the event will have dire consequences. While Ganguly did not reveal the exact content of the letter to the media, the Press Trust Of India has quoted a couple of lines from the letter to indicate how intimidating the letter is.

“If he dares to come here, you will not see him again.”

While Ganguly has informed the police and university authorities about it, he has not lodged any formal police complaint. He even hinted that, due to the death threat, he might cancel his appointment to attend the event. When asked if he will attend the ceremony, he seemed undecided. He said that the press would know if he decided to attend the live show program or not.

Sourav Ganguly, fondly called as “Dada,” hails the Cricket Association of Bengal at the moment. He happens to be one of the most popular public figures in the country. The death threat comes as a surprise to many who believe there is nobody who’d try and kill Ganguly. He is touted to be the next BCCI president. While many of his fans and supporters want to see him as the BCCI president, cricketing icons like Sunil Gavaskar too welcomed the idea.

Ganguly, however, feels his name is brought up out of the context, as he does not qualify to be the next BCCI president. NDTV reported that Ganguly emphasized that he was not running for the post. He said he would still need to complete two more years as the CAB president to qualify for the job.

No matter how shocked Ganguly’s fans are regarding the death threat, this is not the first time he has received such a warning. The “Prince of Calcutta,” as well as cricketing icon Sachin Tendulkar, was a target by an extremist organization earlier as well. The threat came nine years back in 2008. According to reports, there were a couple letters which apparently came from the Indian Mujahideen and Maoists respectively. In one of the letters, there was a threat to kidnap Ganguly’s daughter Sana.

Despite Sourav Ganguly having a history of receiving death threats, the police believe that the letter may not be that intimidating this time. “This time, the letter seems innocuous and might even be a prank,” one of the officers said. “But the special branch has been activated and they will file a report in this regard even if no complaint is lodged as part of a routine exercise.”

According to the Times of India, the routine exercise is necessary because extremists still frequent certain areas around Midnapore. The letter is also significant for two other reasons. Firstly, this is the first time the letter has reached Ganguly’s family residence. Secondly, this is also the first time when specific details about one event are given about the threat, while earlier threats against Sourav Ganguly were general warnings.

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