Kolkata: A Special Investigation Team set up by the West Bengal government has begun examining the vandalism that erupted during a public event featuring Argentine football icon Lionel Messi at Salt Lake Stadium last week, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
The SIT, made up of senior Indian Police Service officers Piyush Pandey, Javed Shamim, Supratim Sarkar and Muralidhar, inspected the stadium premises as part of the initial inquiry. The team later visited the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate to review case details and coordinate further action.
In a related development, Bidhannagar police arrested another suspect on Wednesday, increasing the number of people held in connection with the incident to six. The latest accused, identified as Rupak Mondal from the Chingrighata area near EM Bypass, was traced using surveillance camera footage from the venue.
“CCTV recordings confirmed his presence inside the stadium during the disturbance,” a police official said. “He is being questioned to determine his role and motive.”
Earlier, police had taken suo motu cognisance of the incident and detained five individuals — Basudev Das, Sanjay Das, Abhijit Das, Gaurab Basu and Subhrapratim Dey. The event’s chief organiser, Shatadru Dutta, was also arrested as part of the investigation.
The unrest broke out on Saturday amid heightened anticipation surrounding Messi’s appearance. Fans, many of whom had bought expensive tickets, expressed frustration after failing to get a clear view of the football star. Messi, accompanied by teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, remained on the field for around 20 minutes but was largely inaccessible due to a crowd that included state sports minister Aroop Biswas.
Tensions escalated after the players exited the ground, with sections of the crowd accusing organisers of poor planning. This led to widespread damage inside the stadium, including torn banners, broken seating, smashed fencing and objects being thrown, as some spectators forced their way onto the field.
Authorities said the SIT will continue examining security arrangements, crowd management and the sequence of events leading up to the violence, as the probe moves forward.
