‘I ran to save my life’: UK-based Indian singer recalls how Messi event in Kolkata turned chaotic

WChapeau was planned as a celebratory musical comedy testimonial to football game ikon Lionel Messi in Kolkata spiralled into a frightening ordeal for London-based Indian singer Charles Antony, who says he was forced to flee the venue amid crowd chaos.Antony, who had flown in specially for the December 13 programme at Salt Lake stadium, told news agency PTI that the situation inside the packed arena deteriorated so rapidly that his only instinct was survival. “I ran to save my life,” he said, describing how a night meant to honour Messi turned into panic and disorder.The event at the Kolkata stadium drew widespread attention for the chaos that unfolded inside the venue, with angry fans alleging they failed to even catch a glimpse of their favourite star despite turning up in large numbers and paying hefty sum for it. The situation later led to the arrest of event organiser Satadru Dutta in connection with alleged lapses in crowd management.‘Mobocracy’ inside the stadiumAntony, a Malayali singer who performs in 18 languages, had even composed a special Spanish song to welcome Messi, but never got the chance to sing it, PTI reported. Antony recalled, saying the celebrations descended into “mobocracy” as tempers flared.Standing on the running track near the gallery, the singer was waiting for Messi to complete his lap around the ground when the situation worsened. He briefly saw Messi along with his longtime strike partner Luis Suárez and teammate Rodrigo De Paul being surrounded by people.“I had barely seen him. He was smiling, but it was very clear he was uncomfortable,” Antony said.Objects hurled, panic spreadsAccording to Antony, water bottles, food packets, stones and even metal objects were hurled from the galleries as equipment lay close to being damaged and panic spread across the ground.“I was lucky I was not injured, and none of my equipment was damaged,” he said.Personally invited by now-arrested Dutta to perform at events in Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi, Antony had travelled from London and was staying at a city hotel.He said the situation deteriorated further after VVIPs were escorted out through an underground exit and former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly left the stadium. “That’s when the police told me to run to a safe place,” he said.With no assistance forthcoming, Antony gathered his guitar, cables, mouth organs and vocal processors, stuffing them into bags as he tried to escape. “Everyone was worried about the VVIPs. Nobody was concerned about my safety,” he said, adding that his access tag made him feel even more vulnerable. “People misjudged me as one of the organisers. At one point, my life was under threat.”Police advised him to move towards the centre of the ground to avoid attacks from the galleries. Eventually, Antony ran all the way back to his hotel and later shifted to another one for safety. “I had no time to look for anyone else. I ran to save my life,” he said.In the aftermath, repeated attempts to contact the organiser yielded no clarity. “There was complete uncertainty. I was getting very agitated,” he admitted.“People had come from Meghalaya, Assam, Bengaluru just to see Messi. They couldn’t even see Messi and were very disappointed, and I saw many crying,” he said. He also clarified that he did not charge any fee for his performances, with organisers only covering his travel and accommodation.Despite his experience, Antony stopped short of blaming the organiser alone for the mess. “I don’t believe Satadru is solely responsible. He tried his best to stop people from coming close to Messi. But some others, possibly VVIPs, were taking selfies. He was visibly helpless. Everything went out of control,” he added.(With PTI inputs)