The organiser of football icon Lionel Messi's recent India tour, who is also the prime accused in the chaotic scenes at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium, has made startling revelations to investigators. Satadru Dutta has claimed that pressure from "influential people" led to a critical security lapse, which ultimately left the global superstar feeling uncomfortable.
Pressure to Triple Access and Unhappy Messi
According to his statement to the Kolkata Police's Special Investigation Team (SIT), Dutta was pressured to triple the number of access cards for the event. This flood of unauthorized passes, he alleged, directly resulted in the security breach and chaos on December 13.
Dutta told police that this overwhelming crowd situation led to random people touching and hugging Lionel Messi, which made the Argentine legend "unhappy." He placed the blame for the entire fiasco on "everyone" around Messi on that day.
Revealing the Financial Numbers: Rs 89 Crore Fee and Seized Funds
During interrogation, Dutta disclosed significant financial details of the tour. He claimed that Lionel Messi was paid a staggering Rs 89 crore for the India tour, with an additional Rs 11 crore paid as tax to the government.
He stated that a total of Rs 100 crore was spent on the event, funded partly by sponsors and partly by ticket sales. However, investigators have found discrepancies. A police officer noted that the total amount from ticket sales and sponsors only accounts for 60-70% of the claimed cost, raising serious doubts about Dutta's claims and the source of the remaining funds.
In a major development, police have seized Rs 22 crore from Satadru Dutta's bank accounts and frozen them. The SIT also carried out a raid at his residence in Rishra on Friday. While it is unclear if the seized money is from ticket sales or sponsors, investigators are probing the possibility that black money was used to organise the high-profile event.
Ongoing Investigations and Legal Charges
So far, the Bengal police have registered two separate cases connected to the incident. Satadru Dutta, who was arrested within hours of the chaos, faces several non-bailable charges. Despite his detailed statements about the event's logistics and costs, police noted that Dutta has not made any specific comments regarding potential financial irregularities linked to the tour. The investigation continues to unravel the full story behind the ill-fated event.
