new delhi, DEC 19
The fallout from Lionel Messi’s much-hyped Kolkata visit continues to unfold. On Thursday, Sourav Ganguly, president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), filed a complaint with the Kolkata Police’s cyber cell against Uttam Saha, president of the Argentina Fan Club in Kolkata.
Ganguly has sought ?50 crore in damages for defamation, accusing Saha of falsely linking his name to the chaos that erupted during Messi’s appearance at the Salt Lake Stadium. The complaint was submitted via email to Lalbazar, the city police headquarters.
In his complaint, Ganguly stated that Saha had “knowingly made false, malicious, offensive and defamatory remarks” and levelled “serious allegations that have no basis in reality.” He added that the statements were aimed at tarnishing the reputation he has built over decades as a cricketer and sports administrator.
The complaint stems from an interview in which Saha allegedly linked Ganguly to the organisation of the event, referring to organiser Satadru Dutta as a “broker” and suggesting that Ganguly was overseeing the proceedings. Ganguly has since issued a legal notice to Saha, demanding that the video and all related content be deleted from social media and digital platforms.
The controversy follows the chaotic scenes at Salt Lake Stadium, where thousands of fans gathered to catch a glimpse of the Argentine football icon. However, Messi’s brief appearance, lasting just 22 minutes, sparked anger among the crowd, who accused VIPs and politicians of preventing any meaningful interaction between the star and fans.
As Messi departed quickly, sections of the frustrated crowd threw water bottles, damaged chairs and hurled debris onto the ground. Police later intervened to bring the situation under control.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee later issued an apology and ordered the formation of an inquiry committee to investigate the incident. Event organiser Satadru Dutta was arrested, while state Sports Minister Aroop Biswas resigned from his post. Senior IPS officers, including DGP Rajeev Kumar, were also issued show-cause notices.
