NEW DELHI, 28 May 2007 — The police are investigating a letter written by Maoist rebels threatening to kill cricketers Rahul Dravid and Mahendra Dhoni, a newspaper reported yesterday.
In the letter, the left-wing rebels from the eastern state of Jharkhand and neighboring Chhattisgarh, also decided to kill top cricket officials Sharad Pawar, Niranjan Shah and Rajiv Shukla, according to the Hindustan Times.
“All five are promoting cricket — a sport of the elite class — and also leading a luxurious life at the expense of the hard-earned money of the common man,” the newspaper quoted the letter as saying.
Pawar is president of the Indian cricket board and federal minister for agriculture.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda said the letter was being taken seriously and Dhoni’s security would be reviewed if necessary.
“But before providing more security to Dhoni, the government would like its agencies to find out whether the letter is genuine,” he said.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Dhoni, who hails from Jharkhand, and skipper Dravid are currently on tour for India’s second and final Test against Bangladesh in Dhaka.
The paper said the handwritten letter, suspected to be an internal communication, was found during a raid on a rebel hide-out in Dantewada region in Chhattisgarh on Friday.
The Maoist insurgency began in the 1960s in India as an armed peasant movement. The rebels, who say they are fighting for the rights of landless farmers, operate in 15 of India’s 29 states.
Meanwhile, Jharkhand police yesterday said they were unaware of any death threat issued to cricketers by Maoist rebels.
