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Following former West Bengal Sports Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Aroop Biswas's appearence before the Bidhannagar Police for questioning regarding the mismanagement of Lionel Messi's 'GOAT India Tour' event, BJP MP Soumitra Khan demanded an investigation, stating that anyone who wronged the public should be held accountable.
Speaking to ANI, Khan said, "This is the state administration's job, and the state administration will look into it. We want anyone who has done wrong to the public to be arrested..." Earlier in May, Satadru Dutta, the main organiser of Lionel Messi's GOAT tour to India, filed a complaint against Biswas and accused him of misconduct, including claims that tickets to Messi's Kolkata event were misused and that the organiser faced pressure over issuing access cards. Messi's Kolkata leg of the GOAT Tour in dEcember 2025 descended into chaos after fans who paid high ticket prices at Salt Lake Stadium's event began to throw bottles and attempted to break the gates between the stands after the Argentine legend left early. Angry fans resorted to vandalism at the Kolkata stadium, alleging poor event management, and criticised VIPs and politicians for hogging the football icon's attention and time to the extent that fans did not even get a glimpse of Messi. The situation escalated when angry fans attempted to enter the ground to vandalise the tent and the goal post. To control the situation, police personnel used mild force to disperse the angry crowd from the ground. Speaking to ANI, Dutta alleged misconduct by Biswas, his relatives, and other officials over alleged irregularities and security lapses during the showpiece event. He claimed there was pressure over issuing access cards and questioned how unauthorised people entered the venue despite his control over entries. Dutta also accused Biswas of misuse of tickets and said he faced threats in relation to event access management. He further criticised police handling of the situation. He stated that he has filed a formal complaint, plans to seek 50 crore in damages, and will also pursue a defamation case, insisting that the investigation should be impartial. "The Sports Minister Arup Biswas, who took a ticket from me, I suspect, sold them in the black. He subjected me to severe threats regarding the issuance of access cards," Satadru Dutta said. "Even after I refused to provide the access cards, people still managed to enter the venue. How did they get in? I have filed a complaint covering all these specific grievances... I will file a lawsuit seeking damages amounting to Rs 50 crore, and I will file a separate defamation suit... They made a scapegoat out of me. The investigation must be unbiased," he added. (ANI)
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