Organiser Dutta sent to 14-day custody

Kolkata: A city court in Kolkata has sent Satadru Datta, the chief organiser of the Lionel Messi football event at Salt Lake stadium, to 14-day police custody. Datta was arrested by the Bidhannagar police on Saturday for alleged mismanagement of the event. The chaos erupted at the stadium a day ago, and Datta was arrested at Kolkata airport while seeing off Messi and his entourage to Hyderabad.

During the hearing, Datta’s counsel questioned the basis of the arrest, stating that his client had been “victimised”. The State counsel said the organiser of the event was responsible for crowd movement, and his team members moved around on the pitch in such a way that spectators could not see the World Cup-winning captain of Argentina from the galleries.

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose visited the venue on Sunday for a first-hand inspection and called for a judicial inquiry. Bose also urged the Government to frame Standard Operating rocedures (SOPs) for managing such events in future. The governor, accompanied by Chief Secretary Manoj ant and senior police officials, “visited the venue for a first-hand assessment of the stadium chaos.

He also said all those responsible for the chaos must be arrested and the organiser must immediately refund ticket prices to spectators.

The police said they were also investigating how bottled water and beverages, which are banned items during such events, were allowed to be sold inside the stadium premises. Two cases have been registered in connection with the stadium chaos, and the investigation is underway, the officer said. “We have prepared a list of people who will be summoned. CCTV footage will be reviewed, and those responsible will be arrested,” he said, adding that police will also interrogate vendors who were in the stadium during the event.

Waving slippers in their hands, BJP supporters staged a protest outside the court when Datta was taken there. What was supposed to be a marquee football spectacle turned into widespread violence and disorder at the stadium after Messi’s brief appearance, his first at the venue since 2011, left large sections of the crowd frustrated. They failed to catch a glimpse of their superstar despite having travelled from far and wide and paying hefty sums for tickets.