Kolkata, May 11 (IANS) Lionel Messi’s GOAT India Tour organiser Satadru Dutta on Monday demanded an impartial investigation into the chaos that erupted during the football icon’s event in Kolkata, alleging that he was made a “scapegoat” to shield others from embarrassment.
Speaking to IANS, Dutta claimed that the previous Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the incident was a “farce” and alleged that key individuals were never questioned.
“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.
He further alleged a conflict of interest in the earlier probe. “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,” he added.
Dutta also blamed the police and security apparatus for the chaos at the event, calling it a “complete failure” of the system despite extensive preparations and multiple security meetings.
“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.
He added that as an organiser, he believed the event would receive the highest level of protection because of the presence of international and national celebrities.
“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 organisation of the event, Dutta said he had not taken any financial support from the government and had conducted the programme legally.
“In this event, I had not taken one penny from this government. I booked everything legally, I paid money, and my books are neat and clean. I had the best sponsors and did the event,” he said.
Dutta said bringing the Argentine football legend to India had taken him 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.
Blaming the police administration for the security lapse, Dutta compared the situation with security arrangements during major film festivals.
“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.
He also raised concerns about Messi’s safety during the chaos.
“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?” Dutta said.
Referring to former minister Aroop Biswas’s alleged entry onto the ground during the event, Dutta claimed there was video evidence of the incident.
“It was shown live on Doordarshan. I told him there is video footage. Even the CP was telling him, ‘Sir, please come out of the ground’,” he alleged.
Dutta also spoke about his arrest following the incident, alleging intimidation.
“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.
Dutta said he would move court seeking a fresh probe and expressed faith in the judicial system.
“I will ask the court for an investigation and also request the current government for an impartial investigation because I was made a scapegoat and suffered after bringing Lionel Messi,” he added.
–IANS
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