Day after chaos at Messi event, panel begins probe, chief organiser sent to 14-day custody

A day after spectators went on a rampage during Argentine football icon Lionel Messi's event at Salt Lake stadium here, members of an inquiry committee visited the venue on Sunday and took stock of the damage, officials said.

The development came even as a court here on Sunday sent Satadru Datta, the chief organiser of the Lionel Messi football event at the stadium to 14-day police custody.

Datta was arrested by the Bidhannagar Police on Saturday for alleged mismanagement of the event from Kolkata airport, where he had gone to see off Messi and his entourage on their way to Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, the three-member team examined broken plastic chairs, twisted metal barricades and littered galleries during their on-ground inspection of the stadium, one of India's largest football arenas, they said. Led by Calcutta High Court retired judge Justice Ashim Kumar Ray, the committee members started their inspection from the point where Messi had entered the stadium, and tried to trace his movement, the officials said.

Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, one of the members of the panel, told reporters the committee was hopeful about submitting the report after 15 days. Pant said videography of different parts of the venue was conducted during the day and will be done as per the requirements of the investigation later on.

Justice (Retd) Ray said, “We did the inspection. We cannot share any details with media immediately.” The panel inspected entry corridors, security arrangements during the December 13 event and adjoining galleries, officials said.