Security up at Ganguly's house, 5 quizzed

KOLKATA: Security has been tightened in and around former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly's residence on the outskirts of Kolkata following threats that his daughter would be abducted, police said here on Wednesday.

"The security arrangements have been heightened after complaints that the family received threat mails that Ganguly's six-year-old daughter Sana would be kidnapped," said Inspector S.N. Gupta of the Special Operations Group, West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

"The CID has started investigating the matter and five people have been interrogated in this connection," Gupta said.

According to the police, the family has received two letters in the past one month addressed to the cricketer's danseuse-wife Dona, threatening that Sana would be kidnapped for a Rs.20 million ransom.

The first letter, sent a month ago, was hand-delivered when Ganguly was away from home, while the second one was received around 10 days back through speed post.

"The second one was sent from the Esplanade post office. We're looking into all the aspects of the case and trying to find out the sources of the letters," Gupta said.

No one has been detrained so far, he added.

The West Bengal government has been providing high-level security to Ganguly since 2002 following threats by unidentified people.