Legendary Argentine footballer Lionel Messi’s team has said that the ‘unfortunate decision’ to terminate the Kolkata event early wasn’t in the control of the event promoter, Satadru Dutta, adding that it was a precautionary measure to ensure that the situation didn’t worsen.

The event ended in chaos, with sections of the crowd vandalising parts of the stadium after claiming they were unable to see Messi despite paying thousands of rupees for tickets, alleging that he remained surrounded by influential individuals on the field.

Dutta was later arrested in connection with the case and remained in custody for 37 days before being granted bail. After his release, he accused former TMC leader Aroop Biswas of being responsible for the event’s failure and the financial losses incurred by the organisers.

“In my opinion, the unfortunate decision to have to terminate the event early was not in the control of the event promoter, Mr Satadru Dutta and he wasn’t responsible for this," the email sent by Messi’s team said.

“Rather, it was a precautionary measure necessitated by the breach of event protocol and security arrangements on the ground by parties that weren’t part of the original event plan," the email added.

The event descended into chaos after Messi left the stadium within 15 minutes of his arrival. Frustrated spectators, many of whom had travelled long distances and paid high ticket prices, vandalised sections of the venue after being unable to get a clear view of the star footballer.

The email is part of an ongoing investigation that started after Dutta filed a complaint with Bidhannagar Police. In the complaint, he alleged criminal intimidation, criminal conspiracy, cheating and extortion.

Former West Bengal sports minister Aroop Biswas has been summoned by police on three occasions but couldn’t appear each time, citing health concerns. The Calcutta High Court has since granted him interim protection from coercive action until August 17.

Source: News18