Thread by @Paperclip_In

The connection between the grounds of one of the oldest sports clubs in India, a silver screen icon and a half century old missing person’s case – a thread: (1/n)

Founded in 1884, Aryan Football Club (initially Aryan Sports Club) actually pre-dates the more illustrious names like Mohun Bagan, East Bengal & Mohameddan Sporting (2/n)

Although the club never really touched the same heights as its more famous neighbors, its ground on the Maidan may or may not have witnessed a human tragedy unfold (3/n)

Born in 1914 in Jessore of East Bengal, Saroj Dutta earned fame in the 1940s as a journalist, working for Amrita Bazar Patrika. However, soon the flames of communism were ignited in his mind and he became one of the most prominent faces of the movement (4/n)

He worked on the editorial boards of the communist mouth pieces like Desh Hitaishi, Swadhinata and Parichay. In 1969, in the aftermath of Naxalbari, a hardliner faction left the CPI(M) under the leadership of Charu Majumdar (5/n)

Advocating armed revolution as the way forward, this entity came to be christened CPI (Marxist-Leninist). Saroj Dutta was a key figure in CPI(ML) and managed the party mouthpiece Deshabrati (6/n)

By 1970, CPI (ML) with its violent tactics turned into an enemy of the state . As one of the main faces of the movement, SD, as he was known, was a top target. For some time, he evaded arrest, staying underground and constantly changing his hideouts (7/n)

But the law caught up with him on the night of Aug 4-5, 1971. SD was arrested by Calcutta Police from the house of his friend Deviprasad Chattopadhyay and hauled off (8/n)

What happened after this is now part of one of the longest running urban legends of the city. As per official records, more than half a century later, Saroj Dutta is still “missing” (9/n)

However, his family, friends and comrades believe that early morning of 5th Aug, 1971, he was taken to the Maidan, the Aryan Club ground to be precise, and shot dead in cold blood (10/n)

This execution by the state was loosely referenced in the Bengali satirical film “Bhooter Bhabisyat.” But one more chapter was to be added to this long running urban legend (11/n)

It is said that there was an eye witness to SD’s execution. And it was none other than the reigning king of Bengali cinema, Uttam Kumar. Kumar was on one of his usual morning walks in the Maidan when he apparently witnessed the gory events taking place (12/n)

Apparently, some years later, in a drunken state, Kumar blurted out this whole incident to a confidante also expressing guilt for not being able to speak up (13/n)

It has been rumored that in the days following the 'incident', Uttam Kumar received a phone call from a "top" political leader telling him to mind his own business in no uncertain terms (14/n)

The encounter killing of Saroj Dutta was featured in a novel by well know writer Dibyendu Palit. In the mid-90s, a Bengali movie also made this its key plot and even featured the Uttam Kumar angle (15/n)

But even after 50+ years, Saroj Dutta still remains a missing person in the official records. A football ground, only if it could speak, may have altered this (16/n)