Event Organizer Claims He Was A ‘Scapegoat’ In Messy Messi Event

KOLKATA- Satadru Dutta, organizer of Lionel Messi’s GOAT India Tour event in Kolkata, on May 11 demanded an impartial investigation into the chaos that erupted during the program, alleging that he was made a “scapegoat” to shield others from embarrassment.

“I’ll only ask the new government to do an impartial investigation. I should also be investigated. I am there with all the documents and everything. But the investigation which happened previously, by the SIT, was a farce,” Dutta claimed.

Alleging a conflict of interest in the earlier probe, Dutta said, “The CP who was show-caused was part of the SIT. Nobody called former minister Aroop Biswas or anybody else. There are so many people on the ground, it is there in the public domain.”

Dutta blamed the police and security apparatus for the chaos at the event and described it as a “complete failure” despite multiple security meetings and preparations ahead of the programme.

“In a nutshell, it was a complete failure of police and security. A Z category of security was issued by the Home Ministry to the state government, and that failed. The Chief Minister enjoys Z plus security, so there was a huge security failure,” he said.

The organizer said the event involved several high-profile personalities, including Argentine football star Lionel Messi, Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, and therefore required the highest level of security.

“Lionel Messi, Shah Rukh Khan, the Chief Minister and Sourav Ganguly were all expected at the event. I thought it would be one of the most secure events possible. We held 16 to 20 meetings, took all permissions and shared the entire show flow with the police, including accreditation details and who would be allowed on the field of play,” Dutta said.

Defending the organization of the event, Dutta said he had not received any financial assistance from the West Bengal government and maintained that the program was conducted legally.

Dutta said bringing FIFA World Cup-winning footballer Lionel Messi to India had taken three years of effort and described it as Messi’s “first private event.”

“It was very tough to convince him. After so much effort, I was put in jail just to save somebody’s embarrassment,” he claimed.

Comparing the situation with security arrangements at major film festivals, Dutta alleged that stricter policing could have prevented the incident.

“If the police were strict, this would not have happened. Have you ever seen something like this happen with Shah Rukh Khan or Amitabh Bachchan at film festivals? A few photos here and there can happen, but not like this,” he said.

Dutta also raised concerns over Lionel Messi’s safety during the chaos at the venue.

“A global icon like Lionel Messi should be protected in the highest order. Somebody could have easily pushed him for a selfie or a photo. Why should Messi’s manager take that risk?” he said.

Dutta also spoke about his arrest after the incident and alleged intimidation by authorities. “When I was arrested, a mask was put on me. Obviously, somebody didn’t want me to speak out. There was intimidation because my family was outside,” he claimed. (IANS)