Messi event chaos: Ganguly slaps ₹50 cr defamation suit on fanclub official

Sourav Ganguly has slapped a Rs 50 crore defamation suit notice on an official of a Kolkata-based football fan club for "falsely" dragging his name into the Lionel Messi fiasco and making derogatory and defamatory public statements about the former India cricket captain.

Cricketer-turned-sports administrator Ganguly had also lodged a police complaint against Uttam Saha of 'Argentina Football Fan Club' on Thursday.

"Besides the police complaint, I have sent this official of the football fan club a Rs 50 crore legal notice. They keep saying anything that comes to their mind," Ganguly told PTI.

Saha, while speaking to a journalist, had accused Ganguly of being the actual man behind organising Messi's G.O.A.T India tour and alleged that it's now-arrested prime organiser Satadru Dutta was only a front.

In his complaint emailed to the Cyber Cell of the Kolkata Police, Ganguly said the person's statements have adversely affected his reputation and mental peace.

"The complaint states that he deliberately levelled serious allegations against Ganguly without any factual basis," a police officer said, adding that an investigation in currently underway based on the complaint.

Ganguly added in the complaint that such "baseless allegations appear to be an attempt to tarnish his hard-earned reputation".

In his e-mail, Ganguly stated that in his professional career, spanning over several decades, he earned a reputation in the country and worldwide as a sportsperson and sports administrator and that "baseless" statements aim to tarnish that image.

Ganguly was scheduled to remain on the platform to felicitate the Argentine football legend and his entourage alongside Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and other dignitaries on December 13, but the programme was cancelled in the wake of widespread spectator rampage inside the Salt Lake stadium following Messi's premature exit from the venue.