The much-hyped visit of football legend Lionel Messi to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium on December 13 descended into chaos, with the event's main organiser now revealing startling details from police custody. Satadru Dutta, the arrested key organiser, has informed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that the Argentine superstar was deeply unhappy with the physical contact from the crowd and left the venue before completing the scheduled programme.
Messi's Discomfort and Security Warnings Ignored
During questioning, Dutta disclosed that Messi specifically "did not like being touched on the back or being hugged". This critical instruction had been communicated in advance by the footballer's foreign security team. However, repeated public announcements to restrain the enthusiastic crowd proved futile.
"Despite repeated public announcements to restrain the crowd, there was no impact. The manner in which Messi was surrounded and embraced was completely unacceptable to the World Cup-winning footballer," Dutta stated during his grilling on Friday, according to an SIT source cited by PTI.
Visuals from the event showed West Bengal's then Sports Minister Aroop Biswas holding Messi around the waist for photographs. Biswas has faced accusations of using his influence to grant personal acquaintances access to the player. Amid mounting criticism, he has resigned from his ministerial post pending the investigation's completion.
Influential Person Overpowered Security, Tripled Ground Access
The investigation is critically examining how a large number of people breached the secure ground area. Dutta claimed that initially, only 150 ground passes were issued for controlled access. However, the situation spiralled after a "very influential person" arrived at the stadium and "overpowered him", leading to the number of passes being tripled.
"The arrested accused also claimed that once that particular influential person reached the stadium, all the flow-chart for the Messi programme got disturbed and he could not control it," an official told PTI. Police are verifying whether this sudden increase directly caused the crowd control failure.
Financial Details and Hefty Price Tag of Messi's Visit
Dutta also provided a financial breakdown of Messi's India tour to investigators. He revealed that Lionel Messi was paid a staggering Rs 89 crore for his appearance. An additional Rs 11 crore was paid as tax to the Indian government, bringing the total cost to Rs 100 crore.
Sources indicated that 30% of this amount was sourced from sponsors, while another 30% was generated from ticket sales. The SIT has frozen Dutta's bank accounts containing more than Rs 20 crore, seized during raids at his residence. Dutta claims this money came from ticket sales for the Kolkata and Hyderabad events and sponsor funds, a claim currently under verification.
Aftermath and Official Probe
The event, intended as a marquee football spectacle, turned violent and disorderly. Messi's brief and heavily guarded appearance—his first at the venue since 2011—left thousands of fans, who had paid hefty sums and travelled long distances, frustrated at failing to catch a proper glimpse of their idol.
In response, the West Bengal government has constituted a high-powered SIT comprising senior IPS officers Piyush Pandey, Javed Shamim, Supratim Sarkar, and Muralidhar. This team is tasked with investigating the vandalism, serious security lapses, access violations, and the roles played by the organisers and officials involved in the incident.
