Messi event organiser arrested, says Bengal top cop after violent chaos makes CM Mamata Banerjee apologise

THe constabulary in calcutta feature arrested the organiser of Saturday's case around argentinian footballer Lionel Messi's visit at the Salt Lake stadium, where fans got violent as he only stayed for a few minutes and was not visible to most attendees.“There was some kind of anger or anxiety in the fans saying that he's not playing. The plan was that he would come here, wave, meet certain people and leave,” West Bengal director general of police Rajeev Kumar told news agency PTI. “Now the government has already constituted a committee that will look into all aspects."Scores of people lost their cool and hurled bottles and chairs, at Yubha Bharati Krirangan (stadium) in Salt Lake, after they did not get a proper glimpse of Messi.The state police chief said the organisers are "giving in writing” that tickets would be refunded. “Now the situation is under control,” he said.He said the organiser was “detained”, and the arrest was later confirmed by additional DGP (law and order) Jawed Shamim. “The FIR has been lodged, and the chief organiser has been arrested,” Shamim said, speaking to news agency ANI.Local media reports said the man arrested is Shatadru Dutta, though the name was not yet confirmed independently by HT.Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who could not make it to the event as it fell victim to chaos within minutes before it, said she was shocked.“I sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi, as well as to all sports lovers and his fans, for the unfortunate incident,” Banerjee wrote on X.“I am deeply disturbed and shocked by the mismanagement witnessed today at Salt Lake Stadium. I was on my way to the stadium to attend the event along with thousands of sports lovers and fans who had gathered to catch a glimpse of their favourite footballer, Lionel Messi,” her post read.Fans in the stands and on social media poured out frustration, not at Messi but at an experience they believed was hijacked by “access”, optics and poor planning.In video clips shared by news agencies, furious spectators accused organisers of turning the programme into a “VIP showcase”.One fan summed up the complaint in a line that travelled fast online: “Only leaders and actors were surrounding Messi,” adding that despite paying ₹12,000, they “couldn’t even see his face.”Another supporter said the crowd never got the moment they were sold — “no kick, no penalty”. The videos captured a growing chorus demanding refunds, which the top police officials have since promised to get from the organisers.This was the first event in Messi's three-day, four-city ‘GOAT India Tour 2025’.