Kolkata: Former West Bengal Sports Minister and senior Trinamool Congress leader Aroop Biswas has been issued a fresh summons by police in connection with the investigation into the controversial Lionel Messi event held at Salt Lake Stadium last year.
The Bidhannagar police have directed Biswas to appear before investigators on June 8 after he failed to respond to an earlier notice. The TMC leader had previously informed authorities that health-related issues prevented him from attending the scheduled questioning.
According to police officials, a new notice has been served asking him to cooperate with the ongoing investigation. The summons follows an FIR filed by event organiser Shatadru Dutta, who accused Biswas of offences including ticket black-marketing, extortion, criminal intimidation and cheating linked to the high-profile football programme.
The event, organised at Salt Lake Stadium on December 13, 2025, turned chaotic after a large number of people allegedly entered the venue without valid passes or tickets. The overcrowding reportedly led to security breaches, disorder inside the stadium and widespread dissatisfaction among spectators.
Several attendees who had purchased costly tickets complained that they were unable to properly watch Lionel Messi or enjoy the programme because of poor crowd management and severe congestion. The situation worsened after Messi made a brief appearance and left the venue amid the confusion.
Angry spectators later vandalised parts of the stadium, drawing criticism over the handling of one of the most anticipated sporting events in the state.
The controversy quickly escalated into a political issue, with questions being raised about planning failures and security arrangements. Aroop Biswas, who was sports minister when preparations for the event were undertaken, came under scrutiny over alleged administrative lapses.
Event organiser Shatadru Dutta was subsequently arrested and spent 37 days in custody before being granted bail. After his release, he publicly accused Biswas of being responsible for the event’s collapse and the financial losses suffered by the organisers.
Police officials said the investigation remains ongoing and further action will depend on the findings of the probe.
