Kolkata: The police Saturday detained Satadru Datta, the prime organiser of the Lionel Messi football event at Salt Lake stadium in Kolkata, following widespread chaos at the venue, which prompted the Argentine World Cup-winning captain to leave the field early.
Datta was detained for alleged mismanagement of the event from the Kolkata airport where he had gone to see off Messi and his entourage on their way to Hyderabad.
“We are looking into whether there was any mismanagement from the organiser’s side, which led to the chaos at the stadium. He has been detained, and the police have now brought the situation under control,” West Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar said.
The organiser has given in writing that he will refund the prices of tickets he sold to the disappointed spectators, Kumar added.
What was supposed to be a marquee football spectacle turned into widespread violence and disorder at the stadium after Messi’s brief and tightly ring-fenced appearance, his first at the venue since 2011, left large sections of the crowd frustrated as they failed to catch a glimpse of their superstar despite having paid hefty sums for tickets.
PTI