Messi event organiser goes to cops against former Bengal minister, former DG

KOLKATA: Satadru Dutta, the organiser of the Messi India tour, on Monday filed a complaint at Bidhannagar South PS against former sports minister Aroop Biswas, former DG Rajeev Kumar, New Alipore councillor Juin Biswas and IAS Santanu Basu for sabotaging the event at Salt Lake stadium in Dec 2025. A senior officer said the complaint has been accepted but the sections are yet to be drawn up.

Dutta said Biswas misused his powers and used influence to get unauthorised people on the pitch and harass Messi, which led to the football star leaving and left thousands of spectators disappointed. "Biswas pressured me to give 22,000 tickets and access cards to the pitch," Dutta told TOI.

Accusing the cops of negligence and compromising security at a Z-Plus category event, he said there were 200-300 people on the pitch. When Messi stormed out after being jostled, and drove off to the airport an hour before his schedule, fans who bought tickets but failed to even catch a glimpse of the star vandalised the venue.

DG Rajeev Kumar rushed to the airport and tried to get Messi back to the venue. After Messi refused, Dutta was taken off the aircraft and arrested. He spent 38 days behind bars and is now out on bail.

Messi then attended eve-nts organised by Dutta's team in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi without the chaos he encountered in Kolkata.

After the change of govt, sports and youth welfare department minister Nishith Pramanik ordered a fresh probe into the "Messi fiasco", and warned of strict action if corruption or financial irregularities are found. He also said the role of the ticket agency will come under scanner.