Kolkata, July 5 (IANS) Former West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas has been summoned again by the Bidhannagar South Police Station in connection with the alleged mismanagement during Argentine footballer Lionel Messi’s GOAT India Tour event, police said on Sunday.
He has been summoned several times in the past and had avoided appearing on multiple occasions. However, he appeared at the police station on June 18, when he was questioned for a long time.
This time, the police have again served him with a notice to question him regarding the December 13, 2025 incident. He has been asked to appear at 10 a.m. on Tuesday (July 7). It remains to be seen whether he will appear again.
Aroop Biswas has been accused of playing a role in the alleged mismanagement and chaos that unfolded at Yuva Bharati Krirangan in Salt Lake during Messi’s event. An FIR has been registered against him by the main event organiser, Satadru Dutta.
Based on that case, the police summoned him several times for questioning. The former minister had approached the Calcutta High Court seeking protection from any coercive action. The court initially granted him protection until July 2. He appeared before the police on June 18 only after receiving that protection.
Meanwhile, Satadru Dutta approached the division bench of the Calcutta High Court, challenging the order of the single bench that had granted protection to Aroop Biswas. The division bench, however, did not accept Satadru Dutta’s objections and eventually upheld the single bench’s order granting protection to Aroop Biswas.
It may be noted that Satadru Dutta, who was arrested following the alleged mismanagement at Yuva Bharati Krirangan on December 13 last year, has made several allegations against Aroop Biswas over the chaos during Messi’s visit to Kolkata.
After the change of government in the state, he also held Aroop Biswas responsible for the alleged gross security lapse during the event and filed a complaint against him with the Bidhannagar Police.
Satadru claimed that a total of 70,000 tickets were printed for Messi’s event at Yuva Bharati Sports Complex in December last year. Of these, he alleged, the then Sports Minister took 22,000 tickets alone, using the weight and influence of his position. Satadru further alleged that the then minister distributed those tickets among acquaintances and also sold them. Apart from that, he blamed Aroop Biswas for all the chaos at the event.
–IANS
sch/pgh