Kolkata, 15 December (H.S.) :
Following the violent scenes at the Yuvabharati Krirangan during football star Lionel Messi’s programme, the Bidhannagar Police have issued notices to six members associated with the organising firm headed by Shatadru Dutt. All six have been asked to appear for questioning on Tuesday.
Shatadru Dutt, the main organiser of Messi’s Kolkata and India tour, was arrested on Saturday from Kolkata airport. The police action comes in the wake of the large-scale disorder at the Salt Lake stadium, where the situation spiralled out of control, forcing Messi to leave the venue within just 16 minutes.
According to allegations, spectators seated in the galleries could not get even a clear glimpse of Messi. As soon as he entered the field, nearly 100 people surrounded him, including political figures, organisers, officials and photographers. Messi had arrived along with his teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul. During the crowd surge, Suárez reportedly suffered an elbow blow to his abdomen, while De Paul sustained scratch marks on his hand. All three players were visibly uncomfortable and were quickly escorted out by security personnel.
After Messi’s exit, anger erupted among the spectators. The crowd allegedly went on a rampage inside the stadium, uprooting chairs and hurling them onto the field. Thousands rushed onto the ground and chased police personnel. It took more than an hour for the police to bring the situation under control.
Shatadru Dutt was scheduled to fly to Hyderabad along with Messi the same day, but was detained by Bidhannagar Police at the airport. On Sunday, the Bidhannagar Sub-Divisional Court rejected his bail plea and remanded him to 14 days of police custody. Subsequently, police began summoning other officials linked to his company.
To probe the incident, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has constituted an inquiry committee headed by retired judge Justice Asim Kumar Ray. The panel also includes Chief Secretary Manoj Pant and Home Secretary Nandini Chakraborty.
Investigations have pointed to serious lapses on the part of the organisers. Allegations suggest there was no clear planning around Messi’s visit, with no clarity on his schedule, movements or activities at the venue. The organisers are also accused of failing to coordinate with the administration. Typically, such mega events operate on minute-by-minute schedules, often printed on the back of tickets. However, no such arrangements were in place for the Yuvabharati programme. There was reportedly no rehearsal ahead of the event, and different agencies were assigned separate responsibilities without any coordination, leading to the chaos that unfolded.
Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh
