Former West Bengal sports, youth affairs and power minister Aroop Biswas on Thursday, 18 June finally appeared before police for questioning over alleged irregularities at Lionel Messi's 'GOAT India Tour' event held at Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Salt Lake on 13 December last year — after having evaded three consecutive police summons in the matter.

The Appearance After Three Skips

Biswas presented himself at the Bidhannagar (South) Police Station in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal on Thursday morning. Investigators had issued three prior summons for his interrogation at the same station, each of which he sidestepped on one pretext or another. His appearance came despite — or arguably because of — mounting legal pressure from multiple directions.

Court Protection and a Fresh Challenge

On 10 June, a single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court — Justice Saugata Bhattacharya — granted Biswas interim protection from coercive police action, including arrest, until 17 August. However, the principal organiser of the Messi event, Satadru Dutta, moved swiftly to contest that order. On 16 June, Dutta approached the Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen, challenging the single-judge ruling that shielded Biswas from arrest.

The Ticket Controversy at the Heart of the Case

According to Dutta's police complaint, a total of 70,000 tickets were printed for Messi's appearance at the Yuba Bharati Sports Complex. Of those, Biswas allegedly took 22,000 tickets — nearly a third of the total — reportedly leveraging his position as a senior member of the then Mamata Banerjee-led Cabinet. Dutta has further alleged that Biswas distributed those tickets among acquaintances and sold a portion at premium prices. Biswas has not publicly responded to the specific allegations.

Messi's Team Also Pointed the Finger

The accusations against Biswas are not limited to Dutta's complaint. An email sent to Bidhannagar Police Commissioner Tripurari Atharv by a member of Messi's advisory team — who had travelled to India for the tour — also reportedly held Biswas responsible for the disorder that marred the event. The involvement of an international stakeholder adds a rare cross-border dimension to what is otherwise a state-level political and criminal dispute.

Background: A Minister, an Arrest, and an FIR

Dutta himself was arrested by police last year, at a time when Biswas was still an influential Cabinet figure. Following the government transition, Dutta filed an FIR naming Biswas as the primary person responsible for the event's mismanagement. Biswas had remained largely untraceable after the FIR was registered. This is the first time he has appeared before investigators since the case was opened. How investigators proceed — and whether the Division Bench modifies the single-judge's protection order — will shape the next stage of the case.