Kolkata police have arrested the chief organiser of Saturday’s event linked to Argentine football star Lionel Messi’s visit to the Salt Lake Stadium after chaos erupted when the footballer stayed only for a few minutes and was barely visible to most attendees.
Scores of angry fans lost their cool at the Yubha Bharati Krirangan in Salt Lake, hurling bottles and chairs onto the pitch after Messi’s brief appearance, prompting riot police deployment to bring the situation under control.
Govt Forms Committee To Probe
“There was some kind of anger and anxiety among the fans because he was not playing,” West Bengal director general of police Rajeev Kumar told news agency PTI. “The plan was that he would come, wave, meet certain people and leave. The government has constituted a committee to look into all aspects.”
The state police chief said organisers have given a written assurance that ticket money would be refunded. “The situation is now under control,” he said.
Tickets for the event were sold at prices ranging from ₹4,000 to ₹25,000, according to fans.
Organiser Detained First, Arrested Later
The organiser was initially detained before being formally arrested, a fact later confirmed by additional director general of police (law and order) Jawed Shamim. “An FIR has been lodged and the chief organiser has been arrested,” Shamim told ANI.
Local media reports identified the arrested organiser as Satadru Dutta, though the identity has not been independently confirmed.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was scheduled to attend the event but could not reach the venue due to the unrest, expressed shock over the incident and apologised publicly.
“I sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi, as well as to all sports lovers and his fans, for the unfortunate incident,” Banerjee wrote on X. She added that she was “deeply disturbed and shocked” by the mismanagement at Salt Lake Stadium.
Fans clarifies anger not at Messi
Fans, both inside the stadium and on social media, directed their anger not at Messi but at what they described as an experience hijacked by poor planning, restricted access and VIP prioritisation.
Videos shared by news agencies showed furious spectators accusing organisers of turning the programme into a “VIP showcase”. One fan said despite paying ₹12,000 for a ticket, he “couldn’t even see Messi’s face”, claiming that “only leaders and actors were surrounding him”.
Another supporter said the crowd never received what they were promised. “There was no kick, no penalty,” he said, as chants demanding refunds echoed through the stands.
Saturday’s programme was the first stop of Messi’s three-day, four-city ‘GOAT India Tour 2025’, which has now come under scrutiny following the violent scenes in Kolkata.
