Sourav Ganguly has lodged a complaint threatening a Rs 50 crore defamation suit against Uttam Saha, founder of the Argentina Football Fan Club.
Former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly has filed a complaint with Kolkata’s Cyber Crime Branch threatening a Rs 50 crore defamation lawsuit after the Kolkata event of football icon Lionel Messi ended in chaos. Ganguly has filed the complaint against Uttam Saha, founder of the Argentina Football Fan Club in Kolkata, for allegedly linking him to the Salt Lake Stadium mess.
The notice, sent to Uttam Saha, who claims to be president of the Argentina football fan club, said he has “deliberately, recklessly, and with malice published and circulated a video interview with a Bengali news portal on social media platforms, including YouTube and Facebook, wherein the Argentina fan club founder made false, scandalous, defamatory, and per se libelous statements concerning Sourav Ganguly,” ET Online reported.
The complaint was filed at Lalbazar and alleged that Saha’s allegations have harmed Ganguly’s reputation without any factual basis.
In his video, Saha reportedly called Satadru Dutta, the event organiser, a “stooge” of Sourav Ganguly. He reportedly claimed that Ganguly played a role in Messi’s visit and was the middleman between the organiser and the Argentine.
“Serious allegations are being made publicly without any factual basis,” Ganguly said in his complaint.
While Ganguly was present at the stadium during Messi’s visit, he wasn’t involved in the organsiation process.
Chaos at Messi’s event in Kolkata
What was meant to be a red-letter day for football fans in the City of Joy on December 13 turned into a virtual nightmare, with “less of Messi” and more of what many described as a “royal mess”. Messi’s Kolkata appearance ended in chaos after fans alleged that the presence of VIPs and politicians on the pitch deprived them of a proper glimpse of the World Cup-winning superstar, for whom they had bought tickets.
Fans, who had paid between Rs 4,500 and Rs 10,000 for tickets, hurled bottles and damaged fiberglass seats after they barely got to see the Argentine star, forcing the police to intervene as they struggled to bring the situation under control. They alleged that supporters of the ruling Trinamool Congress breached security and entered the field of play.
