Fresh details have emerged from the investigation into the chaotic Lionel Messi event at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium, with the arrested main organiser, Satadru Dutta, making several disclosures during questioning by the Special Investigation Team (SIT).
Lionel Messi’s visit to Kolkata was marred by mismanagement an the crowd turning violent at the Salt Lake stadium.
Here are five major revelations investigators are now examining:
Messi was unhappy with physical contact
Dutta told investigators that Lionel Messi was “unhappy with being touched or hugged” during his appearance at the Salt Lake Stadium on December 13.
According to him, foreign security officials had conveyed in advance that the footballer did not like being touched on the back or embraced.
Despite repeated announcements asking people to restrain themselves, Messi was surrounded on the field, prompting him to leave earlier than scheduled.
Crowd control collapsed after access was expanded
The organiser claimed that only 150 ground passes were initially issued for the event. However, the number was allegedly tripled after a “very influential person” arrived at the stadium and overpowered him.
Dutta said this sudden expansion disrupted the entire flow chart of the programme, leaving organisers unable to control access to the ground area.
Role of an influential figure under scrutiny
Investigators are probing Dutta’s assertion that the arrival of the unnamed influential person directly contributed to the breakdown of crowd management.
Police are examining whether this intervention led to unauthorised access and worsened the security lapse that allowed dozens of people to get dangerously close to Messi.
Minister’s proximity and resignation
West Bengal sports minister Aroop Biswas was seen in close proximity to Messi throughout the programme, with visuals showing him holding the footballer around the waist while posing for photographs.
He has been accused of using his influence to allow relatives and acquaintances access to Messi. Amid mounting criticism, Biswas resigned from his post pending completion of the investigation.
₹100-crore tour cost and frozen accounts
Dutta disclosed that ₹89 crore”>Messi was paid ₹89 crore for the India tour, while ₹11 crore was paid as tax to the government, putting the total expenditure at ₹100 crore. He claimed 30 per cent of the funds came from sponsors and another 30 per cent from ticket sales.
Investigators have also found over ₹20 crore in Dutta’s frozen bank accounts and seized documents from his residence, with police verifying his claim that the money came from ticket sales and sponsorships.
Thousands of spectators had bought high-priced tickets for the event, but the programme descended into chaos as Messi became barely visible from the galleries, triggering anger among fans and subsequent vandalism at the stadium.
The Special Investigation Team is continuing its probe into vandalism, security lapses, access violations and the role of organisers and officials in the incident.