Six months ago, a massive commotion broke out around a visit by Argentina legend Lionel Messi to Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium as fans protested after failing to get a glimpse of their hero, despite paying huge money. They staged vandalism and invaded the pitch. And if reports are to be believed, none other than a key member of the visiting Argentinian’s team then has blamed a former West Bengal minister for the situation.
The situation on December 13 turned so hostile that Messi and other footballers and officials accompanying him were taken out fast. The issue snowballed, however, even leading to the detention of the event’s chief organiser, Satadru Dutta.
Mess’s Kolkata team member writes to police
As the controversy continues to steal the headlines, a new development took place this week. A member of Messi’s team that was in Kolkata for the “GOAT India Tour” in December 2025 has emailed the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate, which is probing the incident, blaming former Bengal sports minister Arup Biswas for what had happened.
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Bengali daily Anandabazar Patrika has reported that the email has been sent by an individual who came with Messi as his advisor and was present at the venue on the day of the disruption and violence.
Former Bengal minister blamed
According to the news report, the email took Biswas’s name, saying he allowed things during the event which were not in the schedule. The former minister, who resigned soon after the controversy erupted and lost in the state elections that happened in April, was accused of touching Messi on his shoulder and hip, and allowing several people, including his close ones, to enter the field despite having no permission and clicking pictures with the footballer. Messi and his team were reportedly irked by the commotion and decided to leave early. The email also said Dutta was not responsible for such a situation.
The organiser, who was in custody for more than a month in relation to the incident, expressed his frustration in many interviews after getting bail in January and also blamed Biswas for the chaos.
The developments took place around the same time when Messi made a historic start to Argentina’s 2026 World Cup defence campaign, scoring a hat-trick against Algeria in the US.
Biswas’s ‘hat-trick’ of evading cops’ call
Meanwhile, the legal pressure on Biswas was also building up. On Saturday (June 13), the police issued a third notice asking him to appear at Bidhannagar South Police Station for questioning pertaining to a probe into the stadium vandalism. He was asked to appear twice earlier this month, but he did not comply.
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Biswas reportedly told the police after the first two summons that he was not well. But, he did not produce any medical documents to support his claim, the police said, according to The Telegraph.
The police also said that the leader was untraceable, the English daily added.
Court’s interim protection to Biswas challenged
The Calcutta High Court on June 10 provided interim protection to Biswas, shielding him from any coercive action in connection with the Messi event controversy till August 17. The protection comes amid a case lodged against him by Satadru Datta, who has accused him of extortion, cheating, and misuse of political power.
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Dutta, on Tuesday (June 16), moved the division bench of the Calcutta High Court to challenge the earlier order granting Biswas an interim protection. His petition has been admitted by the court, and the case is likely to come up for hearing within this week.
The incident caused a major embarrassment for the then Bengal government with former chief minister Mamata Banerjee apologising to the star footballer and ordered a probe.
The cities that Messi visited next, including Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi, witnessed peaceful events.
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