Satadru Dutta, the promoter behind Lionel Messi’s GOAT India Tour 2025, was detained at the Kolkata airport on Saturday while attempting to board a flight to Hyderabad, West Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar confirmed. The action follows severe crowd chaos and alleged mismanagement during Messi’s Kolkata appearance.
According to Kumar, Dutta has provided a written undertaking promising full refunds to all ticket buyers. “We have persuaded the organiser; he has given in writing that the tickets which have been sold will be refunded. The situation is now under control. We have detained the main organiser and ensured this mismanagement does not go unpunished and that fans are adequately compensated,” he said.
The state government has also constituted a committee to examine all aspects of the incident, including whether organisational failures contributed to the breakdown of crowd control at the venue.
The Kolkata leg of the GOAT Tour was scheduled to run for around four hours from 9 am. Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan was listed among the attendees, though he had met Messi earlier during the virtual unveiling of a 70-foot statue of the Argentine legend.
Messi later arrived at Salt Lake Stadium with Inter Miami stars Rodrigo de Paul and Luis Suárez, accompanied by West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas, Satadru Dutta, Mohun Bagan officials Srinjoy Bose and Debasish Dutta, and a large security contingent.
However, crowd pressure intensified as Messi walked around the ground to greet fans. Police were unable to maintain the perimeter, forcing the cancellation of a planned coaching clinic involving children from all districts of West Bengal. Messi exited the venue early as a precaution.
Once he left, sections of the crowd breached the ground, hurled water bottles, tore posters and damaged seating — with many expressing anger after paying up to Rs. 20,000 for entry.
Comments are closed.