Former Bengal minister Aroop Biswas questioned over Messi event chaos in Kolkata
Former West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas faced police questioning in June 2026 over the chaotic Lionel Messi event at Salt Lake Stadium in December 2025. The event ended in vandalism and international embarrassment after ticketing mismanagement, security breaches, and Messi leaving early. Organizer Satadru Dutta accused Biswas of black-marketing tickets, extortion, and cheating. Messi's team also blamed Biswas for unauthorized access and security concerns. Biswas received interim High Court protection but complied with summons after multiple notices.
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Former West Bengal Minister Aroop Biswas questioned again in Messi event irregularities probe
Former West Bengal Power Minister Aroop Biswas appeared before Bidhannagar Police for the second time on June 22, 2026, in connection with alleged irregularities during a December 2025 event featuring Argentine football star Lionel Messi at Salt Lake Stadium. Event organizer Shatadru Dutta accused Biswas of using his position as Sports Minister to facilitate black-marketing of nearly 22,000 tickets, extortion, cheating, and criminal intimidation. Dutta was arrested and spent 37 days in jail before being granted bail. The event ended with spectators vandalizing parts of the stadium, claiming they could not see Messi due to influential people surrounding him. Newly appointed Sports Minister Indranil Khan also alleged serious mismanagement, embarrassing football fans in West Bengal.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Ex-Bengal Minister Aroop Biswas appears before police in Messi event irregularities probe
Former West Bengal sports minister Aroop Biswas appeared before Bidhannagar Police on June 18, 2026, after skipping three previous summonses, in connection with alleged irregularities surrounding a December 2025 event featuring Argentine footballer Lionel Messi at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. The event ended in chaos as spectators vandalized parts of the stadium, claiming they could not see Messi despite paying high ticket prices. Organizer Shatadru Dutta filed a complaint accusing Biswas of ticket black-marketing, extortion, cheating, and criminal intimidation. Biswas denies wrongdoing and says he was not involved in financial aspects. The Calcutta High Court had granted him conditional protection from coercive action. Additionally, Messi's communication team reportedly wrote to police blaming Biswas for the fiasco, while exonerating Dutta from mismanagement charges for which he was previously arrested.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Messi's Team Blames Former West Bengal Minister for Kolkata Event Chaos
Lionel Messi's team has written to the Bidhannagar Police, blaming former West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas for the chaotic disruption of Messi's G.O.A.T India Tour event at Salt Lake Stadium in December 2025. The communication, sent by a member of Messi's entourage, alleges that Biswas entered restricted areas with unauthorised personnel and unaccredited photographers, engaged in unscheduled interactions and physical contact with Messi, and created major security concerns. Organiser Satadru Dutta, who was initially arrested after the chaos, has filed a complaint against Biswas. Police have issued multiple summons to Biswas, who has failed to appear and has sought protection from the Calcutta High Court. The case involves allegations of extortion, cheating, and misuse of political influence. The event ended in vandalism and international embarrassment for the state government.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Police serve fresh summons to Bengal's ex-sports minister in Messi event chaos case
Police in West Bengal issued a third summons to former Sports Minister Aroop Biswas on June 13, 2026, requiring him to appear within 48 hours for questioning in a case related to the chaotic Lionel Messi event at Salt Lake Stadium in December 2025. Biswas had previously ignored two notices, citing personal reasons. The Calcutta High Court had granted him protection from coercive action until August 17, but ordered him to comply with properly served notices. The case originates from an FIR filed by event organizer Shatadru Dutta, accusing Biswas of black-marketing tickets, extortion, criminal intimidation, and cheating. The event descended into chaos when large numbers entered without valid tickets, leading to security breaches, Messi leaving early, and spectator vandalism. Dutta was arrested and spent 37 days in custody before blaming Biswas for the event's failure.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Calcutta High Court grants interim relief to former Minister Aroop Biswas in Messi event case
The Calcutta High Court on June 10, 2026, granted interim protection from coercive action to former West Bengal Sports Minister and Trinamool Congress MLA Aroop Biswas in connection with the Lionel Messi event fiasco. The event, held in December 2025 at Salt Lake Stadium, ended in chaos and vandalism, causing international embarrassment. Biswas faces allegations of extortion, cheating, and misuse of political influence filed by organizer Satadru Datta. The court ordered Biswas to submit his passport, not leave the station without permission, and appear for police questioning upon 48-hour notice. Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya questioned why Biswas failed to respond to two police notices and expressed shame over the incident. This is the first High Court relief for a top TMC leader since the party's electoral loss.
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