Former Indian captain and President of CAB, Sourav Ganguly has lodged a police complaint against Uttam Saha of ‘Argentina Football Fan Club’ on Thursday, December 18, 2025. He has also filed a ₹50 crore
defamation case. 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.
“Besides the police complaint, I have sent this official of the football fan club a ₹50 crore legal notice. They keep saying anything that comes to their mind,” Ganguly told PTI. 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. Ganguly added in the complaint that such “baseless allegations appear to be an attempt to tarnish his hard-earned reputation”. According to reports 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.
The complaint came due to an interview in which Saha allegedly linked Ganguly to the organisation of the event, referring to Satadru Dutta as a “broker” and suggesting that Ganguly was overseeing the proceedings. Due to this Ganguly has issued a legal notice to Saha, demanding that the video and all related content be deleted from social media and digital platforms.
Ganguly was scheduled to come to the Salt Lake Stadium 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. The Kolkata event descended into chaos after fans complained of mismanagement, leading to vandalism and protests. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee later apologised for the incident and announced the sports minister’s resignation along with formation of committee to enquire into what happened on that day.
