Messi GOAT Tour Chaos: Sourav Ganguly sends Rs 50 crore notice to Argentina fan club 'president'

Lionel Messi GOAT Tour Salt Lake Stadium: Sourav Ganguly has filed a complaint with Kolkata’s Cyber Crime Branch and is about to file a ₹50 crore defamation lawsuit against Uttam Saha, who founded the Argentina Football Fan Club in Kolkata, for making derogatory remarks about the former Indian cricket team captain and ex-BCCI president.

The notice, seen by ET Online, 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 libellous statements concerning Sourav Ganguly.

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The notice also said the video containing the defamatory comments on Sourav Ganguly has caused grave harm to his reputation, personal standing, professional goodwill and public image, apart from exposing him to unwarranted suspicion and ridicule.

In the video, Saha said: “Satadru Dutta (event organiser) is nothing but a stooge/lackey of Sourav Ganguly. This is how he has grown in stature. What to say about Sourav’s cheating — everyone already knows the truth. He sides with the BJP in the morning and with Mamata (Chief Minister of WB) in the evening. Wherever there is money, Sourav runs there. He has finished Bengal’s cricket. It seems no one from Bengal will play in the Indian cricket team anymore — Sourav has arranged it that way.”

Lionel Messi’s highly anticipated “GOAT India Tour” event at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium descended into chaos as thousands of fans grew frustrated over poor visibility and mismanagement.

Spectators who had paid high ticket prices struggled to see the football legend amid a crowded field and heavy VIP presence. Angry crowds hurled bottles, chairs and other objects, leading to vandalism and police using mild force to restore order.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee apologised and ordered a probe, while Sports Minister Aroop Biswas tendered his resignation. Opposition politicians pressed for arrests over the botched organisation and refunds for ticket-holders. A Special Investigation Team is now examining security lapses and crowd breaches.

The event organiser, Satadru Dutta, has been arrested and is in police custody.

Sourav Ganguly is the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal, the chairman of the ICC’s Technical Committee, and the coach of Pretoria Capitals in the SA20 League.

Ganguly is widely seen as bringing a much-needed revolution to Indian cricket with his aggressive captaincy, paving the way for youngsters to enter the team, many of whom went on to remain mainstays of the Indian cricket team for years.