Kolkata: Authorities on Saturday took Satadru Datta, the lead coordinator of Lionel Messi’s high-profile promotional visit to Salt Lake Stadium, into custody following major crowd disturbances that forced the Argentine superstar to make an early exit.

Datta was intercepted by police at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport as he was preparing to see off the World Cup-winning captain and his team for their onward flight to Hyderabad. The detention follows allegations of severe logistical failures during the Kolkata leg of the "GOAT India Tour."

West Bengal Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar confirmed the development, stating:

"We are looking into whether there was any mismanagement from the organiser's side, which led to the chaos at the stadium. He has been detained, and the police have now brought the situation under control."

Kumar further noted that Datta has provided a written commitment to reimburse fans who purchased tickets but were unable to see the athlete.

What was intended as a historic homecoming for Messi—his first appearance at the iconic Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan since 2011- deteriorated into a scene of vandalism and public anger.

Frustration peaked when the 38-year-old icon made only a fleeting, heavily guarded appearance on the field. Thousands of spectators, many of whom had paid premium prices ranging from ₹5,000 to ₹25,000, found their views obstructed by security cordons and VIP guests. As it became clear that the scheduled programme had been cut short, sections of the crowd began hurling bottles and damaging stadium property, including chairs and banners.

The police were eventually forced to intervene to clear the arena, as the highly anticipated celebration of global football’s greatest icon ended in a spree of refund demands and administrative scrutiny.

With inputs from PTI