Organiser of Messi's India Tour Denied Bail Following Kolkata Stadium Chaos Incident

Satadru Dutta, the primary organiser and promoter of Lionel Messi's 'G.O.A.T. Tour of India', has been denied bail following the turmoil that erupted at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium during the Argentine football icon's visit on Saturday afternoon. The court has ordered Dutta to remain in police custody for 14 days in connection with the stadium disorder.

The much-anticipated visit of Messi, accompanied by his Inter Miami teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul, quickly descended into disarray at the Salt Lake Stadium. Initially welcomed by thousands of enthusiastic fans eager to catch a glimpse of their football hero, the situation rapidly deteriorated, necessitating security personnel to hastily escort the star away from the venue.

Upon Messi's appearance on the field, he was immediately surrounded by numerous politicians and VIPs. This prevented fans, who had paid premium prices of up to Rs 14,000 per ticket to see the football legend, from getting a proper view. Frustrated spectators began expressing their displeasure by booing officials and hurling chairs and bottles.

As the situation spiraled out of control, Dutta desperately appealed over the public address system, urging people to maintain distance from Messi. "Please leave him alone. Please vacate the ground," he pleaded with an emotional voice. However, his requests went unheeded as dignitaries continued to crowd around the football star. In the aftermath of the chaos, authorities arrested Dutta.

Dutta appeared before the Bidhannagar Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) today, where his legal representative requested bail while law enforcement officials sought a 14-day police custody. The Bidhannagar Court ruled in favor of the police, remanding Dutta to custody and denying him any relief.

The defense lawyer asserted that Dutta has been wrongfully implicated in the incident and that his arrest is damaging his reputation, particularly in the eyes of Messi. Conversely, police contended that as the organiser, Dutta bore the responsibility for controlling access to Messi. Preliminary investigations have indicated significant mismanagement and inadequate arrangements on the part of the organisers. Police requested Dutta's custody to gather additional evidence from the venue and identify other potential suspects.