The main organiser of Lionel Messi’s event in Kolkata, Satadru Dutta, was granted bail by a city court on Monday. Dutta, who brought Messi to Kolkata, was released on a bond of Rs 10,000 and two surety bonds after his bail application was rejected twice earlier. He was arrested following chaos at Salt Lake’s Yuva Bharati Krirangan and spent time in police and judicial custody.
On December 13 last year, Salt Lake Stadium was packed before Messi’s event began, with spectators eager to see the football star. However, chaos ensued as Messi arrived, with security concerns and spectators’ complaints about not being able to see him leading to vandalism at the stadium. This resulted in the arrest of the event organiser, Satadru Dutta.
The incident led to the formation of an investigation committee by the state government, and subsequent actions were taken, including the resignation of the state Sports Minister and show-cause notices issued to top IPS officers. Additionally, four referees who were involved in a match at Salt Lake Stadium before Messi’s event faced scrutiny for participating without proper permissions, potentially facing disciplinary action.
