The consequences of Lionel Messi’s highly anticipated trip to Kolkata are still being felt. The president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), Sourav Ganguly, lodged a complaint against Uttam Saha, the president of the Argentina Fan Club in Kolkata, with the cyber unit of the Kolkata Police on Thursday.
Ganguly, who claims Saha fraudulently connected his name to the mayhem that broke out following Messi’s presence at Salt Lake Stadium, has demanded Rs 50 crore in damages for defamation. The city police headquarters in Lalbazar received the complaint via email.
Ganguly said in his case that Saha had made “serious allegations that have no basis in reality” and “knowingly made false, malicious, offensive, and defamatory remarks.” He went on to say that the remarks were intended to damage his decades-long image as a cricketer and sports administrator.
The accusation is based on an interview in which Saha allegedly connected Ganguly to the event’s planning, calling organizer Satadru Dutta a “broker” and implying that Ganguly was in charge of the proceedings. Since then, Ganguly has sent Saha a legal notice requesting that the video and all associated content be removed from digital and social media sites.
The controversy stems from the tumultuous scenes at Salt Lake Stadium, where thousands of fans flocked to see the legendary Argentine football player. However, the audience was incensed by Messi’s limited 22-minute attendance, accusing politicians and VIPs of obstructing the star’s interaction with fans.
Parts of the irate fans tossed debris, broken chairs, and water bottles onto the ground as Messi hurriedly left. Later, police stepped in to help control the situation.
Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, later apologized and directed the creation of an investigative committee to look into the incident. State Sports Minister Aroop Biswas resigned, and event organizer Satadru Dutta was taken into custody. Show-cause notices were also issued to senior IPS officers, such as DGP Rajeev Kumar.
