Will Messi fans get refund after chaos at Kolkata's Salt Late stadium? What officials said
Fans said the tickets were sold at upwards of ₹4,000, up to ₹25,000, and yet couldn't see Messi as he was surrounded by leaders and actors.
Amid the fiasco around Argentine footballer Lionel Messi's event in Kolkata, fans are aghast as they said they couldn't catch the glimpse of the football star at the much anticipated event despite paying huge amounts of money for the tickets. Fans called the event ‘terrible’ and accused the organisers of turning the programme into a VIP showcase.
Track updates on Messi event fiasco here
Fans at Messi's event at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday turned violent as he only stayed for a few minutes and was not visible to most attendees. People said the tickets were sold at upwards of ₹4,000, up to ₹25,000, and yet couldn't see his face as he was surrounded by leaders and actors.
Police share update on refunds
The authorities have now said the organisers have promised to refund the tickets. "I'm telling you, they (organisers) are promising that they will return (ticket fee to fans). We will see how it can be done," Additional Director General (ADG) Law and Order Jawed Shamim was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Sharing an update on the turn of events, Shamim said that the organiser of the event has been arrested and an FIR has also been lodged as the probe is underway.
Scores of people lost their cool and hurled bottles and chairs, at Yubha Bharati Krirangan (stadium) in Salt Lake, after they did not get a proper glimpse of Messi.
West Bengal Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar said the situation was under control.
“There was some kind of anger or anxiety in the fans saying that he's not playing. The plan was that he would come here, wave, meet certain people and leave. Now the government has already constituted a committee that will look into all aspects, including whether there was any mismanagement on the organiser's side or anything else. The organiser is giving in writing to those who are concerned that the tickets which have been sold should be refunded. Now the situation is under control,” Kumar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Local media reports identified the arrested organiser as Satadru Dutta, though the name was not yet confirmed independently by HT.
Mamata orders high-level probe
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday ordered a high-level enquiry and an enquiry committee has been formed fix responsibility and recommend corrective measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
Mamata said she was deeply disturbed by the mismanagement at Salt Lake Stadium as she apologised to Messi and the fans who had gathered to see him. "I was on my way to the stadium to attend the event along with thousands of sports lovers and fans who had gathered to catch a glimpse of their favourite footballer, Lionel Messi," she said on X.
"I sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi, as well as to all sports lovers and his fans, for the unfortunate incident. I am constituting an enquiry committee under the chairmanship of Justice (Retd.) Ashim Kumar Ray, with the Chief Secretary and the Additional Chief Secretary, Home and Hill Affairs Department, as members," she added.
