Messi Security Breach: Arrested Organiser Exposes Chaos Behind Kolkata Event
Image Source: Internet
The arrested main organiser of Lionel Messi's Kolkata event, Satadru Dutta, has revealed that the football icon was uncomfortable with being touched or hugged during his appearance at the Salt Lake Stadium on December 13. According to a source in the Special Investigation Team (SIT), Dutta told investigators that Messi's foreign security officials had warned in advance about the need to maintain a safe distance. Despite repeated public announcements to control the crowd, the event descended into chaos as thousands of spectators crowded around Messi, making him barely visible from the galleries. This led to anger among fans, some of whom later vandalised parts of the stadium. Dutta claimed that the event's security plan was disrupted when a 'very influential person' arrived at the stadium and exceeded their authorised access. The SIT is investigating how this person gained access and whether it contributed to the breakdown of crowd control. Dutta also provided financial details related to Messi's India visit, stating that the footballer was paid ₹89 crore for the tour, with ₹11 crore paid as tax to the Indian government. The total expenditure was ₹100 crore, with 30% sourced from sponsors and another 30% generated through ticket sales. The SIT has seized documents and found over ₹20 crore in frozen bank accounts linked to Dutta. The officer said that Dutta claimed the money was from ticket sales and sponsorships, which is being verified. The West Bengal government had set up the SIT to investigate the vandalism, security lapses, access violations, and the role of organisers and officials in the incident. The team is comprised of senior IPS officers Piyush Pandey, Javed Shamim, Supratim Sarkar, and Muralidhar.
