Messi's Kolkata event chaos: Organiser arrested, fans promised refund

Chaos at Lionel Messi's Kolkata event led to the arrest of the chief organiser. Police stated organisers promised ticket refunds to frustrated fans. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee apologised and announced an enquiry committee.

Following the chaos during the football icon Lionel Messi's event in Kolkata, West Bengal Police on Saturday said that organisers of the GOAT India tour have "promised" to refund the ticket fee to the fans. Police have also arrested the chief organiser for mismanaging the event, leaving thousands of fans frustrated by Lionel Messi's brief appearance.

"There is normalcy now. The second part is the investigation; the FIR has been lodged, and the chief organiser has been arrested. I'm telling you, they (organisers) are promising that they will return (ticket fee to fans). We will see how it can be done," Additional Director General (ADG) Law and Order Jawed Shamim told reporters.

Fans Resort to Vandalism Over Brief Appearance

Messi's Kolkata leg of the GOAT Tour descended into chaos on Saturday as fans who paid high ticket prices at Salt Lake Stadium's event began throwing bottles and attempting to break the gates between the stands after the Argentine legend left early. Angry fans resorted to vandalism at the Kolkata stadium, alleging poor event management and criticising VIPs and politicians for 'hogging' the football icon's attention and time to the extent that fans did not even get a glimpse of Messi.

The situation escalated when angry fans attempted to enter the ground to vandalise the tent and the goal post. To control the situation, police personnel used mild force to disperse the angry crowd from the ground.

Police Restore Normalcy, Assure Action

ADG Jawed Shamim assured that "normalcy" has been restored following the incident and said that the authority responsible for the mess will be punished. "Peace has to be restored immediately. That has been taken care of. Traffic is normal. People have all gone back home. The incident has been localised and limited to Salt Lake Stadium. It's a big incident. We are on the job and will ensure that whoever is responsible for this thing that has happened today at Salt Lake Stadium will be punished and all kinds of action will be taken against the concerned authorities," he said.

West Bengal CM Apologises, Sets Up Enquiry Committee

Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also apologised to fans after Messi's Kolkata event turned into chaos. "I am deeply disturbed and shocked by the mismanagement witnessed today at Salt Lake Stadium. I was on my way to the stadium to attend the event along with thousands of sports lovers and fans who had gathered to catch a glimpse of their favourite footballer, Lionel Messi. I sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi, as well as to all sports lovers and his fans, for the unfortunate incident," Mamta Banerjee wrote on X.

"I am constituting an enquiry committee under the chairmanship of Justice (Retd.) Ashim Kumar Ray, with the Chief Secretary and the Additional Chief Secretary, Home and Hill Affairs Department, as members. The committee will conduct a detailed enquiry into the incident, fix responsibility, and recommend measures to prevent such occurrences in the future. Once again, I extend my heartfelt apologies to all sports lovers," West Bengal CM added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)