The visit of Argentina’s world-famous football star Lionel Messi to India began with chaos and fan riots on Saturday. At Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium, fans tore seats, threw objects onto the field, and even entered the pitch. This happened during Messi’s brief appearance at the ticketed event.
According to police, the main event organizer, Satadro Dutta, has been taken into custody. West Bengal Police Director General Rajeev Kumar confirmed that the organizer was arrested on charges of mismanagement.
Messi’s scheduled time at the stadium was 45 minutes, but he left after only 20 minutes. Ticket prices for the event started at around 3,500 Indian Rupees, which is more than the weekly income of an average Indian citizen. One fan revealed that he had paid $130 to attend the event.
Fans at Salt Lake Stadium were frustrated, throwing broken chairs and other items onto the field, while several people jumped over barriers to enter the ground.
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One fan, Eddy Lal Hmangaizwala, who traveled nearly 1,500 kilometers from Mizoram, expressed disappointment over the poor arrangements. According to him, Messi left quickly, likely feeling unsafe, and fans only got a brief glimpse of the football star.
Event organizers have not yet made an official statement about the incident. However, police officials said that the main organizer has assured in writing that refunds for all sold tickets will be provided, and legal action for the mismanagement is underway.
