Messi protested my arrest, was unhappy: Organiser Dutta on chaotic Kolkata event
Synopsis
Six months after Lionel Messi's chaotic Kolkata appearance, organiser Satadru Dutta claims the football icon personally protested his arrest and expressed unhappiness with fallout. Dutta renews allegations that West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas breached protocols and hijacked the event—yet faced a one-sided investigation while the minister was never questioned.
Key Takeaways
Satadru Dutta claims Lionel Messi protested his arrest and was unhappy over the fallout from the chaotic Kolkata event.
Dutta alleges West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas violated the approved "show flow" and breached personal interaction protocols with Messi .
Biswas was not officially part of the programme but allegedly called family members and bureaucrats into restricted areas for photographs.
Dutta claims he was made a "scapegoat" despite security breaches beyond his control.
Dutta alleges the investigation was "a farce" and one-sided, with Biswas never called for questioning despite CCTV evidence available.
Satadru Dutta, the organiser of Lionel Messi's contentious Kolkata appearance, has claimed that the Argentine football icon personally objected to his arrest and expressed unhappiness over the fallout from the chaotic event. Speaking nearly six months after the incident, Dutta alleged systematic political interference, security breaches, and a one-sided investigation that made him a "scapegoat."
What Dutta claims Messi said
According to Dutta, Messi was disturbed by the developments and the subsequent police action against him. "Messi was unhappy; he protested my arrest," Dutta stated in his account. He further alleged that the football legend appeared visibly uncomfortable throughout the event as unauthorised individuals entered restricted areas and protocol violations mounted.
The minister's alleged role
Dutta levelled sharp accusations against then West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas, claiming he was never part of the officially approved "show flow" but repeatedly violated it. "The minister doesn't know what his responsibility is. He played with the emotions of the state, emotions of the fan, and obviously, I became the victim of it," Dutta alleged.
He claimed Biswas used "political clout" to override event protocols and breached personal interaction guidelines with Messi. "In Latin culture, unless you ask anybody, you can't touch him. First thing he did was touch his waist, touch his shoulder," Dutta said, adding that such contact was inappropriate for a first interaction with the football icon.
Security lapses and protocol violations
Dutta maintained that the event had a tightly controlled programme approved by police and security authorities, but alleged that repeated violations by unauthorised individuals derailed it. He claimed Biswas called family members and bureaucratic associates into restricted areas for photographs without authorisation, creating the chaos that eventually triggered crowd unrest.
"Leo, being a good guy, kept quiet. But then he was not leaving. He was calling his people. This minister was calling his family members, calling his bureaucrat friends, taking photos. That was not part of the show flow. So he was feeling uneasy," Dutta alleged.
Accusations of unfair targeting
Dutta renewed his claim that he was unfairly made the "scapegoat" despite glaring security failures beyond his control. He questioned the credibility of the earlier investigation, alleging it was "a farce" because the police officer shown cause was part of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), yet Biswas was never called for questioning.
"There are CCTV footages from both gates that could easily tell you who was on the ground. Why only me? Why a one-way investigation?" he asked, calling for a fresh probe with wider scope.
The Messi event in Kolkata had sparked widespread political controversy in West Bengal after crowd disorder, alleged security lapses, and protocol violations overshadowed what was billed as one of India's biggest football events.
Point of View
Create chaos, then leave the organiser to face consequences. The allegation that Messi himself objected to Dutta's arrest—if accurate—undercuts the narrative that the organiser was solely at fault. The real question is whether the investigation was genuinely one-sided, as Dutta claims, or whether both he and the minister bear responsibility for the breakdown. CCTV footage and witness testimony from security personnel could settle this; their absence from the probe is conspicuous.
NationPress
12 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What does organiser Satadru Dutta claim about Lionel Messi's reaction to his arrest?
Dutta claims that Messi was unhappy over his arrest and personally protested it. He further alleges that Messi appeared visibly uncomfortable throughout the event as unauthorised individuals violated protocols and entered restricted areas.
What are Dutta's allegations against West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas?
Dutta claims Biswas was not part of the officially approved "show flow" but repeatedly violated it, breached personal interaction protocols with Messi by touching him inappropriately, and called family members and bureaucrats into restricted areas for photographs, creating chaos.
Why does Dutta claim he was unfairly targeted?
Dutta argues that security breaches and protocol violations were orchestrated by Biswas and unauthorised individuals beyond his control as organiser. He claims the investigation was "one-way," targeting only him while Biswas was never questioned despite available CCTV evidence.
What does Dutta say about the earlier investigation into the Messi event?
Dutta alleges the investigation was "a farce" because the police officer shown cause was part of the Special Investigation Team, yet key witnesses and Biswas were never called for questioning. He calls for a fresh probe with broader scope.
