Former West Bengal sports minister Aroop Biswas appeared before police on Tuesday for questioning in connection with the alleged irregularities surrounding the Lionel Messi event held at Salt Lake Stadium last December, officials said.
Biswas, a Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader who recently joined the party’s rebel camp, arrived at the Bidhannagar South police station, where investigators recorded his statement.
“His statement has been recorded, and the information provided by him is being examined along with other evidence collected during the investigation,” a police official said.
The Calcutta High Court has granted Biswas interim protection from arrest until August 17 and directed the police to submit a status report on the probe on July 10.
Allegations against Biswas
The case stems from a complaint filed on May 17 by Shatadru Dutta, the principal organiser of Messi’s India tour, who accused Biswas of cheating, criminal intimidation and extortion. Based on the complaint, police registered an FIR and launched an investigation.
Dutta alleged that nearly 22,000 tickets for the event were sold on the black market and claimed Biswas misused his position as the state’s sports minister to influence the organisation of the programme.
Chaos at Messi event
The event, held at Salt Lake Stadium on December 13, 2025, descended into chaos after thousands of people allegedly entered the venue without valid tickets or passes.
Several spectators who had purchased premium tickets complained they were unable to properly watch Lionel Messi or enjoy the programme because of severe overcrowding and poor crowd management.
Messi eventually left the venue amid the disorder, after which sections of the crowd allegedly vandalised parts of the stadium.
The controversy sparked a political row, with Dutta later being arrested in connection with the incident. After securing bail, he accused Biswas of being responsible for the event’s failure and the financial losses he claimed to have suffered.
Messi’s management team had also reportedly raised concerns over the event’s organisation, citing security lapses and inadequate arrangements during the programme.
