Messi's Kolkata tour chaos: Prime organiser arrested, probe ordered as Mamata apologises to fans

The police on Saturday arrested Satadru Datta, the prime organiser of the Lionel Messi football event at Salt Lake Stadium here, following widespread chaos at the venue, which prompted the Argentine World Cup-winning captain to leave the field early.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the stadium unrest, Datta was held by the Bidhannagar Police for “mismanagement” of the event from the Kolkata airport, where he had gone to see off Messi and his entourage on their way to Hyderabad.

“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,” West Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar said at a press conference.

A senior police officer later confirmed that Dutta has been arrested. Till reports last received, the police were interrogating him and his manager inside one of the departure lounges of the airport.

The organiser has given in writing that he will refund the prices of tickets he sold to the disappointed spectators, Kumar said.

What was supposed to be a marquee football spectacle turned into widespread violence and disorder at the stadium after Messi’s brief and tightly ring-fenced appearance, his first at the venue since 2011, left large sections of the crowd frustrated, as they failed to catch a glimpse of their superstar despite having travelled from far and wide, paying hefty sums for tickets.

Police said they were also investigating how organisers allowed sale of bottled waters and beverages inside the stadium premises, which are banned items during such events.

Thousands of water bottles were used as missiles and lobbed inside the pitch by angry spectators, who also uprooted bucket seats from the gallery and used them as ammunition inside the field against the defending police and security personnel.

Spectators alleged that water bottles were being sold at a massive premium inside the stadium despite police disallowing such items from outside at the entry gates.

Messi, accompanied by long-time strike partner Luis Suárez and Argentina teammate Rodrigo De Paul, arrived at the stadium around 11.30 am. His vehicle was parked near the touchline, and he was quickly surrounded by VIPs, organisers, celebrities and security personnel, leaving large sections of the crowd in the galleries unable to see him clearly.

The World Cup-winning captain walked only a short distance on the pitch and waved briefly to the stands amid chants of “Messi, Messi”. Many spectators complained that even the giant screens failed to provide a clear view. Frustration intensified when it became apparent that Messi would not complete the promised lap of the stadium and exited the field midway through his scheduled appearance.

As news of his premature departure spread, angry fans began throwing bottles and plastic chairs onto the pitch, tearing down sponsor banners and hoardings, smashing fibreglass seats and attempting to breach barricades. Protesters raised slogans demanding the arrest of state Sports Minister Aroop Biswas and event organiser Shatadru Datta, blaming them for the alleged mismanagement.

Eyewitnesses said organisers, including Datta and his team, were no longer visible at the venue soon after Messi left. Repeated public address announcements asking unauthorised persons to vacate the field were ignored, and hundreds of spectators spilled onto the pitch, damaging temporary structures and equipment. Police struggled to control the situation, prompting the deployment of the Rapid Action Force.

“This was complete mismanagement,” said Ajay Shah, a football enthusiast who attended the event with his son. “People have spent a month’s salary to see Messi. I paid Rs 5,000 for a ticket. We came to see Messi, not politicians. There was no drinking water, and even the police were busy taking selfies.”

Ticket prices ranged from Rs 4,500 to Rs 10,000, with many fans arriving early in the morning in hopes of seeing the football legend up close.

The chaos led to the abrupt curtailment of the programme, preventing several dignitaries—including Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee—from participating as scheduled.

Police sources said the situation was prevented from worsening only because Messi was escorted out early and additional security forces were rushed to the venue.

Hours later, Chief Minister Banerjee expressed shock over the incident and announced the formation of a high-level enquiry committee. In a post on X, she apologised to Messi and sports lovers.

“I am deeply disturbed and shocked by the mismanagement witnessed today at Salt Lake stadium,” she said. The committee, chaired by retired Calcutta High Court judge Justice Ashim Kumar Ray, will include the chief secretary and the additional chief secretary of the Home and Hill Affairs department. It will fix responsibility and recommend measures to prevent such incidents in future.

Governor C.V. Ananda Bose termed the episode a “dark day” for Kolkata’s sports culture and directed the state government to arrest the event organiser for mismanagement. While holding organisers primarily responsible, he also said the police had failed the government and the public.

For a city known for its deep footballing passion, the scenes of broken chairs, ripped banners and angry fans stood in stark contrast to the promise of the day, as a long-awaited Messi appearance ended in chaos at one of India’s largest football arenas. —with PTI inputs