Kolkata: On a day Lionel Messi became the joint highest goal-scorer in World Cup history and scored his first World Cup hat-trick, Kolkata was reminded of the Salt Lake stadium fiasco, with the football legend's chief adviser and consultant to last year's GOAT India Tour reportedly emailing Bidhannagar police commissioner on Wednesday, flagging former sports minister Aroop Biswas' alleged interference and violation of security protocol that prompted Messi's early exit.
Reacting to the development, Kolkata Police commissioner Ajay Nand, however, said: "Ye sab poochke mahaul kyun kharab karna." (Why spoil the atmosphere by asking all this?) "We have no such reports. We need to check." TOI tried to contact Bidhannagar CP Tripurari Atharv, but multiple calls and text messages went unanswered.
Details of the Letter
According to sources, the official clarified in the letter that the approved protocol for Messi's Dec 13 appearance at the Salt Lake stadium allowed no dignitaries on the field, while only three camera operators were to be present there.
"But the protocol was disrupted when the then sports minister entered the field and became involved in activities that were not part of the scheduled programme. This included repeated unscheduled interactions and physical contact with Messi, including placing hands on his shoulder and around his waist for photographs," the official reportedly stated.
"These actions, together with the presence of several other unauthorised individuals and approximately 40 unaccredited photographers in restricted areas, disrupted the agreed events planned for the visit and created concerns regarding Messi's security, comfort and personal space and made it impossible for him to interact with the individuals planned on the field," the official added.
Organiser's Response
Satadru Dutta, chief organiser of Messi's GOAT INDIA tour in India, said he was aware of the development but refused to divulge the sender's name or further details, citing a non-disclosure agreement. In a cryptic post, Dutta had posted on Facebook on Wednesday morning, an hour after Leo Messi had scored three goals against Algeria: "Aroop-da apnar parar Poltu aj hat-trick koreche. Ebar to berie asun" (Aroop da, your local boy Poltu has bagged a hat-trick today. At least you should come out now).
Dutta earlier accused Biswas of criminal conspiracy, extortion, cheating, criminal intimidation and joint liability for the Dec 13 fiasco. Bidhannagar police have sent three summons to Biswas since June 4, asking him to appear before investigators. He has skipped all summons so far while enjoying a Calcutta High Court "no coercive action" order till Aug 17.
Public Statements
Speaking to reporters, Dutta said: "The incident brought global shame to Kolkata. Police arrested me in that incident and refused bail for several days, claiming I was influential. But I believe Biswas is much more influential than me. So why hasn't he been questioned yet?" Sources said the letter stated that "Messi's early departure was a consequence of unauthorised personnel becoming involved on the field and trying to alter the agreed plans."
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About the Author
Tamaghna Banerjee
Tamaghna Banerjee, a reporter from Kolkata, covers crime, aviation, human rights and politics. He has a keen interest in human interest and rural reporting. He has done his postgraduation in journalism and mass communication. He has a total of 14 years in journalism.
