Organizer Satadru Dutta disclosed the football player’s unease with crowds and problems with unauthorized access during the investigation of Messi’s event in Kolkata.
The inquiry into the chaotic Lionel Messi event at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata has revealed new information. During interrogation by the Special inquiry Team (SIT), the arrested principal organizer, Satadru Dutta, made a number of revelations.
Investigators are now looking at the following five significant discoveries:
Messi was unhappy with physical contact:
Lionel Messi was “unhappy with being touched or hugged” during his presentation at Salt Lake Stadium on December 13, Dutta informed investigators.
He claimed that foreign security authorities had previously communicated that the football player disliked being hugged or patted on the back.
Messi left early because he was swarmed on the field despite repeated calls for supporters to exercise self-control.
Crowd control collapsed after access was expanded:
Only 150 ground passes were initially given out for the event, according to the organizer. But once a “very influential person” showed up to the stadium and overwhelmed him, the number is said to have treble.
According to Dutta, the program’s entire flow chart was upset by this abrupt enlargement, making it impossible for the organizers to manage access to the ground area.
Role of an influential figure under scrutiny:
Investigators are looking into Dutta’s claim that the breakdown of crowd control was directly caused by the arrival of the unidentified powerful individual.
Police are investigating whether this involvement exacerbated the security breach that let dozens of individuals approach dangerously near to Messi and resulted in unauthorized access.
Minister’s proximity and resignation:
Throughout the event, West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas was spotted in close contact to Messi; photos show him clutching the football player by the waist while posing for pictures.
He has been charged with abusing his power to give friends and family access to Messi. Biswas resigned from his position until the investigation was finished due to growing criticism.
₹100-crore tour cost and frozen accounts:
According to Dutta, Messi received ₹89 crore for the India tour, while the government received ₹11 crore in taxes, making the total expenditure ₹100 crore. According to him, 30% of the money came from ticket sales and another 30% from sponsors.
Dutta’s assertion that the money originated from ticket sales and sponsorships was confirmed by authorities, who also discovered almost ₹20 crore in his frozen bank accounts and confiscated documents from his home.
Thousands of supporters had purchased expensive seats for the occasion, but when Messi was hardly visible from the galleries, the program deteriorated into pandemonium, inciting fan rage and eventual stadium vandalism.The Special Investigation Team is continuing its probe into vandalism, security lapses, access violations and the role of organisers and officials in the incident
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