Sourav with his daughter Sana in Calcutta. (PTI file picture)

Calcutta, Oct. 7: Sourav Ganguly received not one but two letters threatening daughter Sana, one allegedly from the Maoists and the second claiming to be from the Indian Mujahideen, police said.

Sourav, asked at today’s Bangalore news conference if he had received a letter threatening to kidnap Sana, said he had. “It is true but it would be better if we don’t discuss it here,” the cricketer said as he announced his retirement plans.

Police here said this letter had reached Sourav’s home in Behala in mid-September. It threatened to kidnap Sana, who will soon turn seven, unless the Indian Mujahideen were paid over Rs 1 crore.

The “Maoist” letter had arrived earlier, in the first week of September, just after the cricketer, a Tata employee, had made a statement in favour of the Singur project. Sourav had said the project “would completely revolutionise the prospects of the state and the future of the youth of our state”.

The letter threatened to kill Sourav and Sana unless he paid up several crores.

The security agencies are monitoring the movements of Sourav and his family round the clock.

Raj Kanojia, the inspector-general of police (law and order), said the second letter was written by hand, signed “Indian Mujahideen” and delivered by speed post.

“It was written in Bengali but did not bear the name of any person. Initial investigation has revealed the letter was posted from the Esplanade post office on September 14 and reached the Ganguly residence the next day. But it was opened much later — on September 28 — after which the family got in touch with the police,” Kanojia said.

The criminal investigation department (CID) is probing the case.

The letter said the money should be deposited within a day at a spot near the 3A bus stand at Thakurpukur More — an extremely crowded spot at any time of day. The deadline for the abduction, September 15, had long been past by the time the letter was opened.

“Our senior officers have held several meetings with Sourav Ganguly’s family members and their security has been beefed up. We are also shadowing Sana’s movements — including her journey to school and back. The scanner is also on the other members of the family,” said S.N. Gupta, the CID deputy inspector-general (operations).

Officers said it would be unusual for the Indian Mujahideen to send a hand-written letter in Bengali. “They usually email their threats.”

The “Maoist” letter, also hand-written and in Bengali, had opened by praising Sourav’s cricket skills: “We are great fans of your batting and your captaincy and apologise in advance for this….”

A family insider said Sourav had stopped going to Tolly Club — and stopped sending Sana to school — for several days after receiving this letter.

“The letter was found in our post box. Looking at the gravity of the threat, the police were immediately informed. The letter had the names of some Maoists, and initial investigation found that the names were genuine,” the source said.

Nadia’s Chakdah police station too received a hand-written letter signed “Indian Mujahideen” yesterday. It threatened to blow up Sealdah station on Ashtami or Navami, naming four persons who would carry out the operation.

Three of the names are fictitious and the fourth person doesn’t have criminal antecedents, the police said.