Organiser Satadru Dutta of Lionel Messi's G.O.A.T event has been detained over the Yuvabharati Stadium incident, said State Police DG Rajiv Kumar.
The police arrested Satadru Dutta, the chief organiser of Lionel Messi’s GOAT India Tour 2025, on Saturday as a result of the widespread violence that broke out at the Salt Lake Stadium, compelling the Argentine superstar to cut short his event appearance. The event, which is alleged to be a historical event in Kolkata, ended in vandalism, outrage, and a serious failure of security.
Violence breaks out at Salt Lake Stadium
The incident happened at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan moments after the Argentine superstar, Messi, arrived at the stadium at around 11:15 am. Thousands of ticket-holding spectators, who paid as much as ₹10,000, were left disappointed as they could not get a glimpse of the Argentine superstar. It is said that the presence of VVIPs, club members, and political followers in large numbers led to a failure in crowd control, which caused the incident.
Messi, who was scheduled for a 45-minute visit, made an appearance for only 20 minutes before he was escorted away by members of the security force, Reuters reported. The failure to carry out a lap of honour led to a riot as fans expressed their discontent, resulting in the throwing of bottled drinks on the pitch, fibro seats being pulled out, and the destruction of parts of the event stage. The police struggled to control the mob but later used baton charges to disperse the crowds.
Police action & official response
Additional Director General (Law & Order) Jawad Shamim has confirmed that Satadru Dutta was arrested at Kolkata Airport. "Satadru Dutta, the main organiser, has been arrested following the stadium chaos," stated Jawad Shamim.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was also attending the event, has expressed outrage over the incident and has launched a probe into the matter.
Who is Satadru Dutta?
Dutta is the founder of A Satadru Dutta Initiative, a sports promotion agency that has organised previous events such as the appearance of international football stars such as Pelé, Diego Maradona, Cafu, and Emiliano Martínez in India. Earlier on the same day, he had referred to the presence of Messi as a “landmark moment.”
The incident has also sparked concerns regarding the remaining matches of the GOAT India Tour, with Messi set to take part in matches in Hyderabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi over the next three days. Although he left Kolkata for Hyderabad shortly after the incident, there is still some uncertainty regarding the matches because of the level of security arrangements that might exist post-Kolkata.
