Former West Bengal sports minister Aroop Biswas has been summoned by the Bidhannagar police to appear at the Bidhannagar South Police Station on Thursday to meet the investigating officer in a case related to cheating, criminal conspiracy, criminal intimidation, and extortion. The case stems from the Lionel Messi GOAT India Tour controversy that took place at Salt Lake Stadium last year.
This development comes a day after Biswas applied for anticipatory bail before a Barasat court, which scheduled a hearing for July 22. A police officer from Bidhannagar City Police stated, "We have asked Biswas to come to the police station and meet the investigating officer to seek his cooperation in the investigation. He has been requested to visit between morning and afternoon on June 4."
An FIR against Biswas and others was registered on Saturday night following a preliminary probe into a complaint filed by event organiser Satadru Dutta on May 17. Dutta alleged that Biswas demanded a large number of complimentary tickets and accreditation cards, threatening to stall the event if his demands were not met. Dutta claimed that approximately 22,000 complimentary tickets were forcibly taken and later sold on the black market.
Dutta further alleged that Biswas misused his influence to facilitate the entry of unauthorised persons onto the pitch, leading to the harassment of football star Lionel Messi. This incident reportedly prompted Messi to leave the venue early, disappointing thousands of spectators and triggering unrest at the stadium.
Several fans were arrested in the aftermath, along with Dutta, who spent 38 days in jail. Dutta was arrested based on a suo motu complaint by Bidhannagar police, who booked him for alleged mismanagement of the high-profile event at Salt Lake Stadium, which led to widespread disorder, fan unrest, and questions about organisational responsibility.
Times of India attempted to reach Biswas for comment, but he did not respond to calls or text messages. Sources revealed that although Dutta lodged the complaint on May 17 at Bidhannagar South Police Station, it was only converted into an FIR on May 30 after Dutta met senior officials of the state government.
