Police summon ex-Bengal sports minister in Messi event chaos case

Former West Bengal Sports Minister Summoned Again Over Messi Event Disarray

Kolkata, December 2025

Police summon ex Bengal sports minister - The former sports minister of West Bengal, Aroop Biswas, was once more called in by police for his involvement in the Messi event disorder case following his absence on Friday. Authorities have now set a new date for his appearance, June 8, after he initially cited health concerns and claimed he could not attend the summons.

"Aroop Biswas has been directed to appear before our officers on June 8. A notice was delivered to him today," said an officer from Bidhannagar Dakshin police station.

Biswas was summoned by Friday following an FIR filed by Shatadru Dutta, the event organizer, which alleged that he was involved in ticket black marketing, extortion, threats, and fraud during the prominent football event in December 2005. The FIR detailed his alleged role in mishandling logistics and mismanaging crowd control at the time.

On December 13, 2025, the Messi event at Salt Lake Stadium turned into a mess when numerous attendees entered without proper entry credentials, causing security issues and confusion in the crowd. The venue was overwhelmed, leading to widespread disorder and a breakdown in the event's organization.

Attendees who purchased costly tickets voiced grievances, claiming they couldn't view Messi clearly or experience the event properly because of excessive crowding and poor coordination. The chaos disrupted the program, leaving many spectators frustrated and unable to enjoy the experience.

During the turmoil, Messi exited the stadium swiftly, prompting some enraged fans to damage parts of the venue. The incident sparked a political uproar at the time, with criticism directed towards Aroop Biswas, the then sports minister, regarding perceived shortcomings in event planning and crowd control.

Shatadru Dutta was later detained by the police, serving 37 days in custody before obtaining bail. Upon his release, he attributed the event's failure and financial losses to Biswas, maintaining that the former minister's actions had directly contributed to the disaster.