A man from Gujarat's Gandhinagar reportedly called up a police inspector and threatened to set himself ablaze if the ongoing five-match T20I series between India and England happening at the Narendra Modi stadium in Motera, Ahmedabad, was not cancelled.

An FIR has been lodged against the caller, identified as Pankaj Patel, at the Chandkheda police station in Ahmedabad. The man had issued the threat to senior police inspector KV Patel, who is in charge of the security details of the tournament, on March 12. He was apparently concerned due to the rising cases of Covid-19 in the city. "The man had called on my cell phone on March 12 and threatened to immolate himself if the matches are held. He also used abusive words for the Gujarat government, the Chief Minister, and the Deputy Chief Minister. When I asked his name, he told me he is Pankaj Patel from Gandhinagar. I immediately called up Gandhinagar police control room and shared his phone number with the officials," the inspector stated in the FIR, according to a report.

The accused has been booked under sections 505 (2) for trying to promote enmity, hatred, or ill will between classes, 504 for intentional insult, and 507 for criminal intimidation through anonymous communication, of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).