Satadru Dutta, the main organiser of the Kolkata event featuring football star Lionel Messi, told the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that the Argentine player left Salt Lake Stadium within minutes of his appearance on December 13 because he was “unhappy with being touched or hugged,” PTI reported. Dutta said the event, which was eagerly awaited by fans, descended into chaos and violence after a “very influential person” arrived and tripled the number of ground passes issued.
According to Dutta, the influx of people disrupted the planned flow of the programme, making it impossible for organisers to control the crowd. He told investigators that Messi “did not like being touched on the back or hugged,” and that foreign security officials had conveyed these instructions in advance. Despite repeated public announcements to restrain spectators, Dutta said the footballer was overwhelmed by the crowd, which surrounded and embraced him.
Initially, only 150 ground passes were issued, but Dutta claimed the number was tripled once the influential person arrived, disturbing the event’s management. Police are investigating whether this expanded access contributed to the breakdown of crowd control and how so many people gained entry to the field.
Visuals from the event showed West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas in close proximity to Messi, even holding him around the waist for photographs. Biswas has been accused of using his influence to allow relatives and acquaintances access to the footballer. Amid mounting criticism, he resigned from his post pending the investigation.
Dutta also disclosed financial details of Messi’s visit, stating that the footballer was paid Rs 89 crore for the tour, with Rs 11 crore paid as tax to the Indian government, making the total expenditure Rs 100 crore. Around 30% of the funds came from sponsors, and another 30% from ticket sales. SIT officers found over Rs 20 crore in frozen bank accounts linked to Dutta, which he claimed came from ticket sales and sponsorships. Investigators are verifying these claims.
The event had attracted thousands of spectators who purchased high-priced tickets. However, the crowd on the field made Messi barely visible from the galleries, triggering anger among fans, some of whom later vandalised parts of the stadium.
The West Bengal government set up a Special Investigation Team, including senior IPS officers Piyush Pandey, Javed Shamim, Supratim Sarkar and Muralidhar, to probe the incident. The SIT is investigating security lapses, violations of access protocols, and the roles of organisers and officials in the chaos at Messi’s event.
