Sports promoter Satadru Dutta, the organiser of Lionel Messi’s controversial India tour, has expressed deep regret over hosting the event in Kolkata, citing a massive security breakdown that forced the Argentine superstar to leave the Salt Lake Stadium within just 25 minutes.
In an interview with Hindustan Times, Dutta said he never anticipated such chaos. “Absolutely, I regret it. I could have sold this event elsewhere and made more money. But as a Bengali from Kolkata, I wanted football fans here to experience it. I never imagined that one immature person trying to create his own mileage would destroy the entire event,” he stated.
Dutta, who was later arrested and spent 38 days in custody, has accused the Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress government of political interference and blackmail, claiming the event was deliberately sabotaged.
He highlighted the alarming security lapse during Messi’s appearance. “Messi had close to a billion dollars in insurance coverage. Imagine if something had happened to him. It would have been a national embarrassment. That’s why Messi’s team decided they could not continue. He doesn’t like claustrophobic situations where people crowd around him,” Dutta said.
Dutta insisted that all required approvals and security protocols were completed from his side before the event. “This was a Z and Z-plus category event. The Home Ministry provided instructions for that security cover to the Bengal government. Interestingly, even the Chief Minister herself was the chief guest and had Z-plus security. As an organiser, I completed every approval related to protection, licensing, and permissions. We had at least 15 to 20 meetings with police officials. From my side, all SOPs and protocols were followed.”
He added, “But I was never a law enforcer. Z and Z-plus security can only be enforced by the administration and police. When I entered the ground with Messi, I noticed many people inside who were not supposed to be there.”
Dutta claimed that around 100 to 120 unauthorised individuals entered the field and surrounded Messi. “They started taking photos. The first thing I told the CP of Bidhannagar was, ‘Sir, how are these people here? They were not given access.’ Then the sports minister entered the ground despite not being part of the show flow. The first thing he did was touch Messi’s shoulder and waist while taking photos. It was very inappropriate.”
Messi’s manager immediately approached Dutta, questioning why the minister and so many others were present. Dutta argued that the responsibility for security lay with the administration and police. “If there was a flaw in my management, how did Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi run smoothly with the same team? In those cities, governments and police followed the accreditation system.”
Dutta said he repeatedly asked officials to clear the ground but no action was taken. “I’ve been organising stadium events for 15 years, and this has never happened before. Someone turned it into a private event, calling bureaucrats, family members, and others for pictures. The DG and CP were standing there, and nobody stopped them. I kept shouting and requesting them to clear the ground. Nobody listened. There were at least a thousand police personnel inside the stadium,” he added.
The incident has sparked widespread criticism over security arrangements during high-profile tours in India, raising questions about accountability and crowd management standards.
