Extortion, VIP tickets: Case against ex-Bengal minister over Messi event fiasco

The controversy surrounding the Lionel Messi event in Kolkata last year has now come back to haunt former West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas. The event organiser, Satadru Dutta, who spent over a month in jail in connection with the incident, has now filed a complaint against Biswas, based on which the Bidhannagar Police have registered an FIR.

In his complaint, Dutta has levelled serious allegations against Biswas, including threats, extortion and the black-marketing of complimentary tickets linked to the event.

The much-anticipated visit of Lionel Messi to Kolkata lasted barely 20 minutes and descended into chaos as the football legend left what is often described as India's spiritual home of football in haste. The situation reportedly spiralled after numerous dignitaries and their family members crowded around Messi on the ground. Frustrated at being unable to catch even a glimpse of him, fans stormed the field and vandalised parts of the venue. Amid mounting public criticism over the handling of the event, Biswas was forced to step down as sports minister.

After the Trinamool Congress's rout in Bengal in May, Dutta broke his months-long silence, telling regional media that fear for his family had kept him from speaking out. He also made clear that he intended to pursue action against Biswas, whom he held chiefly responsible for the fiasco.

Now, an FIR has been registered under Sections 3(5), 308(2), 318(4), 351(2) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on the basis of Dutta's complaint. Dutta was the organiser of the “GOAT India Tour -- Kolkata Edition” held at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on December 13, 2025.

In his complaint, Dutta alleged that he was made to hand over nearly 22,000 complimentary tickets, including VVIP, VIP and regular passes, and that these were later sold in the black market at higher prices.

“The then Sports Minister forced me to hand over approximately 22,000 complimentary tickets to him, which were subsequently sold in black at a higher rate,” Dutta alleged.

He also claimed that he was repeatedly pressured to generate another 10,000 access passes for people allegedly linked to the former minister. According to the complaint, these passes allowed entry onto the field during Messi's appearance despite security concerns.

Dutta alleged that the entry of several unauthorised persons onto the pitch caused the perimeter security arrangement to collapse and disrupted the programme, forcing Messi to shorten his appearance at the stadium. The complaint said Messi stayed on the field for only about 20 minutes and could not complete a planned lap of honour because of overcrowding and security concerns.

The case now centres on allegations over the distribution of complimentary tickets, the creation of extra access passes and the claim that the resulting security breach cut short Messi's appearance in Kolkata.

- Ends