Kolkata, June 17 (IANS) Footballer Lionel Messi’s team on Wednesday visited the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate and blamed the former West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas for the mismanagement that broke out during Messi’s ‘GOAT India Tour’ at Salt Lake’s Yuva Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata in December last year.
Messi is currently playing the FIFA World Cup in the US and scored a brilliant hat-trick against Algeria in his first football match playing for Argentina.
According to a senior Bidhannagar Police officer, the email was sent to the Bidhannagar Police Commissioner Tripurari Atharv by one of Messi’s team members who had came as his advisor for the ‘GOAT India Tour’. He was present on the field along with Messi on that day at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan.
The email states that the ruckus at the stadium started after the then Sports Minister Aroop Biswas entered the field.
The then Sports Minister was repeatedly touching Messi, his shoulder and waist to take pictures with him.
The complaint also mentions that many people entered the field with the then Minister Aroop Biswas that day, who did not have the right to enter the field.
It also said that there were supposed to be three photographers on the field. However, there were about 40 people on the field. This is said to have annoyed Messi and raised doubts about his safety.
It is added that after this incident, it was not possible for Messi to attend the event and he had to leave the field.
Messi’s team has also said that the matter was not under the control of the event organiser Satadru Dutta, who was main organiser of the footballer’s tour to India.
It is said that Satadru is in no way responsible for Messi’s early departure from Yuva Bharati Krirangan.
After the incident, Satadru Dutta told media persons, “This will definitely help in the investigation.”
It may be noted that Satadru Dutta, who was arrested after the mismanagement at Yuva Bharati Krirangan on December 13 last year, has made several allegations against former Minister Aroop Biswas for the chaos during Messi’s visit to Kolkata.
After the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government came to power in West Bengal, Satadru Dutta also held Aroop Biswas responsible for the gross security lapse during the event and filed a complaint against him with the Bidhannagar Police.
On Tuesday, he filed a petition in Calcutta High Court, challenging the protection that Aroop Biswas received in this case.
His lawyer Arindam Jana drew the attention of the division bench of the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday.
According to court sources, the division bench of the Chief Justice also gave permission to file a case in the matter.
The hearing of the case is likely to be held later this week.
It may be noted that following an FIR against him, Aroop Biswas had filed a protection application in the court to avoid arrest.
Calcutta High Court Justice Saugata Bhattacharya granted protection to Aroop Biswas with several conditions.
The court had ordered that Aroop Biswas should cooperate in the investigation.
At the same time, an independent and impartial investigation was ordered by the Bidhannagar Police Commissioner.
Challenging the single bench order, Satadru Dutta went to the division bench of the Calcutta High Court.
It may be noted that Satadru Dutta claimed that a total of 70,000 tickets were printed for Messi’s event at the Yuva Bharati Sports Complex in December last year.
Of these, the then Sports Minister took 22,000 tickets alone, showing the weight and influence of his position.
Satadru Dutta alleged that the then Minister Aroop Biswas distributed those tickets to his acquaintances and also sold them.
Apart from that, he blamed Aroop Biswas for the chaos at the event.
The police gave Aroop Biswas a notice for questioning in all these matters. He avoided appearing for the first time citing physical illness following which more notices were served to him. However, he has not appeared for questioning so far.
–IANS
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