South Kolkata District Congress Committee members hold a protest over the Lionel Messi event at Salt Lake stadium on Saturday where spectators resorted to large-scale chaos and vandalism, in Kolkata, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. Photo: PTI
Messi event rampage: PILs in Calcutta HC seek transfer of probe to central agencies
Three petitions seek transfer of investigation into Salt Lake Stadium rampage and the alleged financial irregularities to CBI, ED, SFIO; state probe challenged
Ripples from Saturday’s (December 13) spectator rampage at Salt Lake Stadium during an event featuring Argentine football legend Lionel Messi reached the corridors of the Calcutta High Court on Monday (December 15), after Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Pal allowed the filing of three separate PILs concerning the incident.
Probe transfer
The petitions sought the court’s intervention to transfer the investigation into the stadium violence to central agencies such as the CBI, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO).
The PILs, filed separately by the state’s Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and advocates Sabyasachi Chattopadhyay and Mainak Ghoshal, are expected to be heard together by the court later this week.
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Appearing for Adhikari, advocate Bilwadal Bhattacharya sought permission to file a petition seeking the court's intervention into unearthing the factors that led to the crowd unrest on Saturday.
He also challenged the authority of the three-member inquiry committee constituted by the state government and headed by retired justice Ashim Kumar Ray.
State enquiry challenged
The turn of events led to a loss of face for West Bengal before the entire world, the petitioner alleged.
The other two petitions claimed that the state-appointed committee was constituted in haste and prayed that possible financial irregularities in the sale of tickets and suspicious monetary transactions linked to the event should also be probed.
Also Read: West Bengal Governor 'denied' entry at Salt Lake Stadium amid Messi event chaos
Bidhannagar Police, which is currently investigating the case, has ordered the freezing of bank accounts of the organisation responsible for the sale and distribution of tickets and has directed the stoppage of monetary transactions between the organisation and Shatadru Dutta, the prime organiser of the event, who has since been arrested, officials said.
Stadium damaged
The state-appointed retired justice Ashim Kumar Ray-led high-level committee, which also comprises the chief secretary and home secretary as members, visited the ransacked stadium on Sunday, to take stock of the damages and informed reporters that it would submit its report within the next fortnight.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while announcing the formation of the committee within hours of the incident, said its mandate included fixing accountability and suggesting measures to prevent such incidents in future.
Also Read: Chaos at Messi's event in Kolkata; organiser detained, CM orders probe
An estimated damage of over Rs 2 crore to the stadium was caused on account of spectator outrage, who resorted to unprecedented rampage after Messi's brief and tightly ring-fenced appearance left large sections of the crowd frustrated, as they failed to catch a glimpse of their superstar despite having travelled from far and wide. They had paid hefty sums for the tickets.
This is Messi's first appearance at the venue since 2011.
(With agency inputs)