Calcutta HC division bench to hear challenge to Aroop Biswas's interim protection in Messi event case
Synopsis
A division bench of the Calcutta High Court has agreed to hear a challenge to the interim protection granted to former West Bengal minister Aroop Biswas in the Messi 'GOAT India Tour' mismanagement case — a case involving 22,000 allegedly misappropriated tickets, premium resales, and an FIR filed by the very organiser who was arrested under the previous TMC regime.
Key Takeaways
A Calcutta High Court division bench on 16 June admitted a petition challenging interim protection granted to former minister Aroop Biswas until 17 August .
The case relates to crowd mismanagement at Lionel Messi 's 'GOAT India Tour' event at Salt Lake, Kolkata on 13 December last year.
Biswas allegedly reserved 22,000 of 70,000 tickets for his Tollygunge constituency and reportedly sold them at premium rates to clubs.
Event organiser Satadru Dutta , who filed the complaint and the petition, was himself arrested during the previous TMC regime over the incident.
Biswas's brother Swarup Biswas has separately been arrested on charges of corruption, extortion, and misconduct.
The division bench hearing is scheduled for this week.
A division bench of the Calcutta High Court, comprising Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen, on Tuesday, 16 June admitted a petition challenging an earlier single-judge order that had granted interim protection from coercive police action to former West Bengal minister Aroop Biswas until 17 August. The matter stems from alleged mismanagement during Lionel Messi's 'GOAT India Tour' exhibition event at Yuva Bharati Krirangan in Salt Lake, Kolkata, on 13 December last year.
Background: The Messi Event and Its Fallout
The high-profile football event, held at the iconic Salt Lake Stadium, was marred by severe crowd management failures that reportedly led to chaos inside the venue and prompted Lionel Messi to exit early due to security concerns. Of the 70,000 tickets issued for the event, Biswas — then serving as the state's sports and power minister in the Mamata Banerjee-led cabinet — allegedly reserved 22,000 tickets for residents of his Tollygunge Assembly constituency in southern Kolkata, according to submissions made before the court.
Biswas's counsel further alleged that these tickets were subsequently sold at premium rates to several clubs, compounding concerns about financial irregularities tied to the event.
The Single-Judge Order and Police Investigation
Following the state government's initiation of a formal investigation into the mismanagement, Biswas approached a single-judge vacation bench of the Calcutta High Court presided over by Justice Saugata Bhattacharya, seeking protection from arrest and other coercive police measures. On 10 June, Justice Bhattacharya granted Biswas interim protection until 17 August, while simultaneously directing that the police investigation would continue unimpeded under law. The bench also stipulated that Biswas must appear before the investigating agency if served with a notice.
An FIR against Biswas was registered by police based on a complaint filed by event organiser Satadru Dutta, who was himself arrested during the previous Trinamool Congress (TMC) regime in connection with the mismanagement.
Division Bench Challenge
On Tuesday, Dutta moved the division bench of the Calcutta High Court challenging the single-judge vacation bench's protective order in favour of Biswas. The petition has been accepted, and the matter is scheduled to come up for hearing this week. The challenge raises questions about whether the interim protection afforded to Biswas is legally sustainable given the gravity of the allegations and the ongoing criminal investigation.
Biswas Family Under Scrutiny
The legal pressure on the Biswas family extends beyond Aroop. His brother, Swarup Biswas, was recently arrested by police on multiple charges including corruption, extortion, and alleged inappropriate behaviour towards women support staff in the Bengali film industry. The twin cases have intensified scrutiny of the former minister's political network in the post-TMC-government transition period.
The division bench's upcoming hearing could determine whether Biswas retains his legal shield or faces the prospect of police action as the investigation deepens.
Point of View
But the optics are striking: the organiser who was arrested under the previous government is now the one challenging the protection of the minister he accuses of misappropriating 22,000 tickets. If the division bench vacates the stay, Biswas faces immediate exposure to police action — and the case could become a template for how courts handle petitions from figures associated with the outgoing TMC administration. The involvement of Swarup Biswas on separate charges adds a dimension that goes beyond the Messi event and suggests a broader pattern of scrutiny that courts and investigators will be hard-pressed to ignore.
NationPress
1 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Aroop Biswas Messi event case about?
The case concerns alleged mismanagement at Lionel Messi's 'GOAT India Tour' exhibition match at Yuva Bharati Krirangan in Salt Lake, Kolkata, on 13 December last year. Former West Bengal minister Aroop Biswas is accused of causing mismanagement by allegedly reserving 22,000 of 70,000 tickets for his constituency and selling them at premium rates, leading to chaos and Messi's early exit.
What did the Calcutta High Court single-judge bench order?
On 10 June, Justice Saugata Bhattacharya granted Aroop Biswas interim protection from coercive police action, including arrest, until 17 August. The order allowed the police investigation to continue and required Biswas to appear before investigators if served with a notice.
Who has challenged the single-judge order and why?
Event organiser Satadru Dutta challenged the order before the Calcutta High Court's division bench on 16 June. Dutta, who was himself arrested during the previous TMC regime over the incident and later filed an FIR against Biswas, argues that the interim protection should not stand given the gravity of the allegations.
What is the current status of the case?
The division bench of Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen has accepted Dutta's petition. The matter is scheduled for hearing this week, which will determine whether Biswas retains his legal protection or faces the possibility of arrest.
What other legal trouble is the Biswas family facing?
Aroop Biswas's brother, Swarup Biswas, has been arrested separately on charges of corruption, extortion, and alleged inappropriate behaviour towards women support staff in the Bengali film industry, intensifying scrutiny of the family's conduct during the previous TMC administration.
