- By Shubham Bajpai
- Sat, 13 Dec 2025 03:11 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The Kolkata Police have detained the organiser of the Salt Lake Stadium event of Lionel Messi after his brief visit sparked a chaotic situation. Stating that the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has taken note of the incident, the West Bengal DGP said that the organiser has been detained.
DGP Rajiv Kumar said, "The Chief Minister has taken cognisance of the incident. It was sheer mismanagement by the organising committee." He also said that the organisers are expected to refund the amount to disappointed spectators.
"Meanwhile, I request fans to exercise restraint. We have already detained the organiser," DGP Kumar added.
The ruckus started during Lionel Messi’s GOAT India tour event at Salt Lake Stadium in West Bengal. Agitated over failing to get even a glimpse of Argentina's star footballer, fans broke security protocols. They broke the chair and started vandalizing.
After the chaos erupted, the police had to resort to baton charge to control the situation. CM Mamata has ordered an investigation into the incident.
How scene unfolded?
Messi, accompanied by long-time strike partner Luis Suárez and Argentine teammate Rodrigo De Paul, arrived at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan around 11.30 am.
He was quickly surrounded by the VIPs after he reached the stadium and stepped onto the field. Surrounded by organisers, celebrities and security personnel, spectators were left in the galleries straining for a view.
The football star walked a short distance on the pitch and waved briefly towards the stands amid loud chants of "Messi, Messi". As the footballer remained tightly cordoned off and was barely visible from large sections of the stadium, frustration mounted. Several spectators even said that the giant screens failed to offer a clear view.
The spectators' anger brewed further when it became evident that Messi wouldn't complete the full lap of the stadium, which was part of the original programme.
Messi instead turned back midway and was escorted out. His appearance was short of what was scheduled, causing resentment among the fans.
The anger burst, and spectators started throwing bottles and chairs onto the pitch. Sponsor banners and hoardings were torn down, fibreglass seats were smashed, and sections of the crowd attempted to rip open barricades to force their way onto the field.
(With PTI Inputs)