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Messi event organiser Satadru Dutta denied bail day after Kolkata Salt Lake stadium chaos
Satadru Dutta, the chief organiser of Lionel Messi's 'GOAT Tour of India', was denied bail on Sunday and sent to 14-day police custody
Satadru Dutta, the chief organiser of Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi's 'GOAT Tour of India', was denied bail on Sunday and sent to 14-day police custody, a day after the Kolkata leg of the event dissolved into violent chaos at the Salt Lake stadium.
Messi and his Inter Miami club teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul were at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday afternoon when hundreds of gathered fans turned violent as they could not catch a glimpse of the stars.
On Sunday, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose visited the venue for inspection. Bose, accompanied by Chief Secretary Manoj Pant and senior police officers, went to different parts of the stadium, officials said.
He could not enter into the stadium on Saturday, just hours after chaos and crowd trouble at the venue marred Messi's event. He had found the gates closed and the stadium lights switched off, and alleged that the move was intended to block his entry by the Mamata Banerjee government.
Bose dubbed the incident a "dark day for the sports-loving people of Kolkata".
Besides directing the state government to arrest the organiser, he also blamed the police for failing to manage the crowds.
The event was supposed to be a marquee spectacle but resulted in arson at the stadium after Messi’s brief and ring-fenced appearance, his first at the venue since 2011, left large sections of the crowd frustrated.
They failed to catch a glimpse of their superstar despite having travelled from far and wide, paying hefty sums up to ₹20,000 for tickets.
Members of a high-level inquiry committee, set up by CM Mamata Banerjee, also visited the stadium on Sunday to carry out their investigation.
The panel is headed by retired Calcutta High Court judge Ashim Kumar Ray, and has the chief secretary and home secretary as members.
