Messi in Kolkata case: Biswas cites ill health and skips police interrogation

Former West Bengal sports minister Aroop Biswas on Thursday did not appear before the police for questioning in a case related to the mayhem during the Lionel Messi event at the Salt Lake Stadium in December last year and demanded a two-week extension, citing ill health, a police officer said.

Biswas was asked to appear before investigators on June 5 after event organizer Shatadru Dutta filed an FIR against him. The organizer accused the former minister of black marketing of tickets, extortion, criminal intimidation and cheating in connection with the high-profile football event.

Citing health issues, the Trinamool Congress leader said he could not respond to the call at the moment.

«We have received a message from him requesting additional time for medical reasons. The request is being investigated in accordance with legal procedures. Further steps will be taken in the course of the investigation,» the police officer said.

The development drew a sharp reaction from Dutta, who alleged that the former minister was trying to stall the investigation.

In a post on social media, Dutta said, «A sudden illness after receiving a summons? A medical certificate may buy time, but it cannot help anyone escape justice.»

He further claimed that the timing of the illness could hardly be considered a coincidence and said he would pursue the case.

Dutta, the main organizer of Messi’s India Tour, filed the FIR at Bidhannagar Dakshin police station on May 17, accusing the former sports minister of offenses under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including cheating, criminal intimidation and extortion.

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He alleged that almost 22,000 tickets for the Messi event had been sold on the black market and claimed Biswas had used his position as Sports Minister to exert undue influence during the programme.

The event at Salt Lake Stadium on December 13, 2025 descended into chaos after a large number of people reportedly entered the venue without valid entry, leading to security breaches and crowd disorder.

Many spectators who had bought expensive tickets complained that they could not see Messi properly and enjoy the program due to overcrowding and mismanagement.

Messi quickly left the ground amid the commotion, after which sections of angry spectators vandalized parts of the stadium.

The controversy caused a political firestorm at the time, with questions raised about alleged shortcomings in crowd planning and management.

Dutta was later arrested by police and spent 37 days in custody before being granted bail. After his release, he blamed Biswas for the collapse of the event and the losses suffered by the organisers.

Published on June 4, 2026