Bengal sports minister writes to Mamata, offers to resign over chaos at Messi event in Kolkata

Messi ‘GOAT India’ tour: What was expected to be an eventful day turned into mayhem when Messi decided to leave the stadium early due to alleged mismanagement.

Updated on: Dec 16, 2025, 15:20:34 IST

By HT News Desk

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West Bengal sports minister Aroop Biswas wrote to chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday and offered to resign after chaos erupted during football icon Lionel Messi’s ‘GOAT India’ tour on Saturday.

Argentine footballer Lionel Messi with West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas during an event as part of his 'G.O.A.T. India Tour 2025' in Kolkata. (PTI)

Notably, the audience at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata resorted to vandalism when they failed to catch a glimpse of Messi, alleging gross mismanagement by the organisers and obstruction of views by VIPs.

Immediately after the chaos, Mamata Banerjee ordered a high-level inquiry committee to probe the incident. The event’s main organiser, Satadru Datta, was also arrested on the same day.

Meanwhile, the chief secretary of Bengal issued a show-cause notice to DGP Rajeev Kumar, CP Bidhannagar, over the alleged mismanagement at the stadium.

Chaos at Messi event in Kolkata

What was expected to be an eventful day for both the football icon as well as the fans turned into mayhem when Messi decided to leave the stadium early due to alleged mismanagement.

This made the fans, who had spent thousands of rupees just to get a glimpse of their hero, angry and they resorted to vandalism, including throwing bottles and chairs.

The inquiry committee, which was assigned the task of probing the incident, in its report said that serious violations of standard operating procedures, including the authorisation of water bottles into the stadium were revealed, one of the members told PTI.

Five people were arrested on Monday in connection to the incident. They were charged under relevant sections, including 132 (assaulting a police official), obstructing a public servant, 324(5) (damaging public property) and 3(5) (joint criminal liability) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with relevant provisions of the West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Act and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act, a senior police officer told HT.

Bengal govt showcauses DGP, other senior officers

Following the recommendations of the probe panel, the West Bengal government also sent a show-cause notice to DGP Rajeev Kumar and Bidhannagar police commissioner Mukesh Kumar.

They were asked to provide an explanation over the lapses reported at the stadium and given 24 hours to reply, a statement issued by the office of the chief secretary Manoj Pant said.

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HT News Desk
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