Messi Kolkata tour fiasco: Organiser Satadru Dutta files police complaint against ex-TMC minister
Kolkata: Satadru Dutta, the organiser of Lionel Messi's recent promotional tour in India, has filed a formal police complaint against former West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas and three others, including the state’s former top police official. The complaint alleges they engineered the chaotic security failure at the Salt Lake stadium last December and subsequently used Dutta as a "scapegoat."
Dutta submitted the complaint at the Bidhannagar South police station on Monday evening. The document explicitly names Biswas, a prominent Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader; Rajeev Kumar, a former Director General of Police and current TMC Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament; Juin Biswas, a Kolkata Municipal Corporation councillor and relative of the former minister; and Shantanu Basu, the Information and Cultural Affairs department secretary.
The event coordinator, who was arrested following the December incident and spent 38 days in custody, requested law enforcement intervention regarding unlawful entry into high-security field zones, a total collapse of perimeter defences, and the systematic disruption of the high-profile event at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Dec. 13, 2025.
"My family and I were threatened with dire consequences if I opened my mouth. I had no choice but to keep mum and accept whatever punishment they had decided for me. I would never have mustered the courage to file this complaint, had there not been a change of guard in the state," Dutta told PTI.
Dutta's legal action came hours after Nisith Pramanik, the newly installed sports minister under the current Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) administration, publicly announced plans to reopen the investigation into the promotional event.
The Stadium Fiasco
The event, marketed as Lionel Messi's "GOAT India Tour — Kolkata Edition," descended into widespread vandalism after the Argentinian superstar appeared on the pitch for approximately 20 minutes. During that brief window, Biswas and his associates were observed positioned directly adjacent to the World Cup champion, obstructing the view of the paying audience.
Frustrated by the restricted visibility and the abbreviated schedule, spectators destroyed stadium seating and breached the pitch.
"Our objective from the very outset has been to restore the dignity of all those who were deceived in the 'Messi fiasco' -- specifically those who were humiliated and mistreated while attending the match. A decision has already been taken to reopen the file regarding the Messi incident; furthermore, the culprits behind this episode will be identified and brought to justice," Pramanik told reporters.
Messi’s time on the field was restricted to roughly 20 to 22 minutes, truncating the planned itinerary after crowd congestion and escalating safety liabilities prevented him from completing a scheduled lap of honour. Facing intense public backlash and scrutiny, Biswas resigned his ministerial post later that month.
Allegations of Corruption and Coercion
Dutta's complaint asserts that Biswas actively compromised the event by utilising his ministerial authority to grant unauthorised field access, which harassed the footballer and prompted his premature departure.
"The then Hon'ble Minister of Sports, Government of West Bengal, Shri Aroop Biswas, forced me to hand over approximately 22,000 complimentary tickets (including VVIP, VIP, Regular) to him, which were subsequently sold in black at a higher rate. Additionally, Aroop Biswas repeatedly coerced me to create an additional 10,000 access passes, which would enable his associates to gain access to the Field of Play to be in close proximity to Lionel Messi," Dutta stated in his complaint.
The organiser further claimed that the minister's entourage entirely disregarded established security protocols, despite extensive prior coordination and explicit warnings conveyed to top-tier state police officials.
"It further appeared that Shri Aroop Biswas physically approached and held Lionel Messi during the live operational sequence of the programme and insisted upon unscheduled photographs and interactions involving Shri Santanu Basu and other accompanying persons. The conduct and physical proximity created visible discomfort and serious security apprehension for Lionel Messi and his international security team," Dutta stated in his complaint.
Dutta also retracted his previous social media statements promising ticket refunds, claiming those assurances were extracted through intimidation.
"In other words, I was made a scapegoat for the wrongdoings of the aforesaid influential persons," Dutta stated in his complaint.
Characterising the police report as an initial step toward legal restitution, Dutta announced his intention to pursue significant financial damages through the civil court system.
"I am planning to file two civil suits in court, of Rs 50 crores each, against the former sports minister and others. The first would be compensation for the damage caused to me and the second, a defamation suit for tarnishing my image," Dutta said.
With inputs from PTI