A high-level investigation committee visited the Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Sunday morning to assess the damage and circumstances that led to chaos during football icon Lionel Messi’s visit to Kolkata on Saturday. The visit followed allegations of large-scale mismanagement that triggered vandalism and unrest inside the stadium.
The committee was constituted on the orders of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and is headed by retired Justice Asim Roy. Chief Secretary Manoj Panth and Home Secretary Nandini Chakraborty are also members of the panel. During their inspection, the team toured the stadium premises, including the galleries and the field, which were still bearing visible signs of Saturday’s violence. Photographers accompanying the committee documented damaged infrastructure and debris left behind after the incident. The panel has been tasked with investigating how and why the situation spiralled out of control.
Governor CV Ananda Bose, who had gone to the stadium on Saturday but was unable to inspect the ground after the floodlights were switched off, also visited Yuba Bharati on Sunday morning to review the aftermath.
The organiser of the event, Shatadru Dutta, who was arrested on Saturday on the charges of mismanagement, was produced before the Bidhannagar court, and the magistrate remanded him to police custody for 14 days.
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Tension had been building around the Kolkata leg of the ‘GOAT Tour India’ since Saturday morning. Thousands of spectators, many of whom had purchased tickets, gathered at the stadium hoping to catch a glimpse of Messi. However, due to the positioning of the stage, and the presence of ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders and Bengali movie and serial actors, a large section of the audience could not see the Argentine footballer. Messi’s appearance on the field lasted only a few minutes.
The situation deteriorated rapidly when a section of spectators entered the field from the galleries, leading to incidents of chair-throwing, bottle-hurling, and banner-tearing. Security personnel struggled to control the crowd, and Messi was eventually escorted out of the stadium for safety reasons.
Following the incident, the Chief Minister publicly apologised and blamed “mismanagement” for the chaos. She ordered an administrative inquiry into the matter. The main organiser of Messi’s visit, Shatdru Dutta, has since been arrested. Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar stated that responsibility for the incident lay entirely with the organisers and event management. He added the spectators who were unable to see Messi would be refunded their money that they had to spend to buy tickets.
The incident has drawn criticism from the international community and has cast a shadow over Kolkata’s reputation as the worshipper of football. For many sports fans, December 14 will be remembered as a black day in the city’s footballing history.
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