Prime organiser of Messi event in Kolkata arrested over ‘mismanagement’ after stadium chaos

Public Lokpal
December 13, 2025

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Prime organiser of Messi event in Kolkata arrested over ‘mismanagement’ after stadium chaos

KOLKATA: The police on Saturday arrested Satadru Datta, the prime organiser of the Lionel Messi football event at Salt Lake Stadium here, following widespread chaos at the venue, which prompted the Argentine World Cup-winning captain to leave the field early.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the stadium unrest, Datta was held by the Bidhannagar Police for “mismanagement” of the event from the Kolkata airport, where he had gone to see off Messi and his entourage on their way to Hyderabad.

"We are looking into whether there was any mismanagement from the organiser's side, which led to the chaos at the stadium. He has been detained, and the police have now brought the situation under control," West Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar said at a press conference.

Accompanied by long-time strike partner Luis Suárez and Argentine teammate Rodrigo De Paul, Messi, the World Cup-winning captain, arrived at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan around 11.30 am.

His vehicle was parked near the touchline and, as he stepped onto the field, he was quickly encircled by VIPs, organisers, celebrities and security personnel, leaving spectators in the galleries straining for a view.

Messi walked a short distance on the pitch and waved briefly towards the stands amid chants of “Messi, Messi”.

Fans, however, soon realised that he remained tightly cordoned off and barely visible from large sections of the stadium.

Several spectators complained that even the giant screens failed to provide a clear view.

Frustration mounted when it became evident that Messi would not complete the full lap of the stadium that was part of the original programme.

Instead, he turned back midway and was escorted out well before the scheduled end of his appearance.

As word spread that the football star had left prematurely, anger spilt over. Bottles and plastic chairs were hurled onto the pitch, sponsor banners and hoardings were torn down, fibreglass seats smashed, and sections of the crowd attempted to breach barricades to force their way onto the field.

Protesters raised slogans demanding the arrest of state Sports Minister Aroop Biswas and the event's chief organiser Satadru Datta, accusing them of gross mismanagement.

The chaos forced an abrupt curtailment of the programme, with several invited dignitaries, including Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, unable to participate as planned.

Police sources said the situation did not fully spiral out of control, only because Messi was taken out of the stadium earlier than scheduled and additional security forces were rushed in.

Hours later, Banerjee expressed shock over the alleged mismanagement and announced the constitution of a high-level enquiry committee.

In a post on X, she apologised to Messi and sports lovers who had gathered at the stadium.

“I am deeply disturbed and shocked by the mismanagement witnessed today at Salt Lake Stadium,” she said, adding that thousands of fans had assembled at the venue hoping to catch a glimpse of the World Cup-winning star.

The inquiry committee will be chaired by retired Calcutta High Court judge Justice Ashim Kumar Ray, with the chief secretary and the additional chief secretary of the Home and Hill Affairs Department as members. The panel will fix responsibility and recommend measures to prevent such incidents in the future, Banerjee said.