Kolkata, 20 December (H.S.): Police questioning of main event organiser Shatadru Dutta in connection with the chaos during Lionel Messi’s programme at Yuva Bharati Krirangan on December 13 has led to several significant revelations regarding crowd presence, expenditure, funding and the reasons behind the disorder.

According to police sources, Dutta told investigators that around 150 members of his organising team were present on the ground on the day of the event to manage various operational responsibilities. In addition, nearly 300 guests invited by state Sports Minister Arup Biswas were present at the venue. He further claimed that a large number of family members and close associates of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, were also in attendance, which contributed to the breakdown of arrangements.

Sources said Dutta alleged that many of these invitees were influential and politically connected individuals. He claimed that the heavy presence of such guests, particularly family members and close aides of Abhishek Banerjee, adversely affected the planned security and event protocol, ultimately leading to chaos.

During questioning, Dutta reportedly said that the situation deteriorated rapidly as soon as Messi entered the field. According to the original plan, Messi’s movement was to be strictly regulated, but repeated attempts by people to get close to him, hug him partially and take selfies disrupted the schedule. As a result, Messi and his entourage reportedly became uncomfortable and upset.

Dutta also provided details regarding the expenditure incurred for the event. He claimed that the total cost of the programme was around ₹100 crore. Under the “Greatest of All Time India Tour,” Messi was reportedly paid approximately ₹89 crore. After adding GST and other associated expenses, the total expenditure reached close to ₹100 crore.

Investigators were informed that around ₹30 crore of the total cost was received from various sponsors, while another ₹30 to ₹35 crore came from Hyderabad-based sources. The remaining amount was planned to be generated through ticket sales. Dutta said that ticket sales in Kolkata were expected to fetch around ₹20 crore.

However, in view of the chaos and damage caused during the event, police have issued a letter to the ticketing company, directing it not to release the ticket sale proceeds to the organiser’s firm for the time being. Authorities are also considering using this amount to recover losses caused by vandalism at Yuva Bharati Krirangan.

Police sources said that based on the information revealed during the interrogation, investigators are conducting a detailed examination of the event’s planning, crowd management and funding structure. The role of more individuals linked to the organisation and execution of the programme is also under scrutiny.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh