When? Lionel Messi After landing in India on December 13 last year, many expected it to be a watershed moment in Indian sporting history, with arguably the greatest footballer of all time embarking on a much-hyped four-city tour. The tour began in Kolkata, known for its deep passion for football, and the organizers believed it would be the perfect stage to set the tone for the rest of the tour. However, things quickly went out of control for Satadru Dutta, the sports organizer behind bringing Messi to India. What was supposed to be a celebration quickly turned into one of the most controversial sporting events in recent memory, surrounded by allegations of mismanagement, political interference and serious security lapses, with Messi ultimately leaving the event abruptly after being mobbed on the field by VIPs and political figures. Months after the fiasco, Dutta has finally broken his silence in an explosive exclusive interview, where he blamed the administration, the police and parts of the political establishment for the chaos, while also opening up about his 38 days in custody and why he believes he was made a scapegoat.
Q: We spoke a few weeks before the Messi event, and you spoke enthusiastically about your effort to convince Lionel Messi to come to India. At what point did you realize that things were starting to head toward crisis, and what were the first warning signs that something was going wrong?
Satadru Dutta: First of all, I want to brief you on some points that fans should know. The program was a Z and Z-plus category program and the Home Ministry had provided instructions for that security cover to the Government of Bengal. The interesting thing is that even after this the Chief Minister herself was the chief guest and she also had Z Plus security. As an event organizer, I completed every approval related to security, licensing and permissions. We had at least 15 to 20 meetings with police officials. Therefore, all SOPs and protocols were followed from my side. But I was never a law enforcer. I was only the organiser. If seen, this Z and Z Plus security can be implemented only by the administration and police departments. So when I entered the field with Messi, I immediately saw many people inside who should not have been there. As per the discussion on show flow with the police, only a few people were allowed to get close to Messi: young football players to shake hands, flag bearers, children doing small football activities, and then Mamata Banerjee, Shah Rukh Khan, Sourav Ganguly, myself and two PR representatives. But when I entered, I saw at least 100 to 120 unwanted people who were not part of the show flow and did not even have access cards. They started surrounding Messi and taking pictures. The first thing I said to the CP of Bidhannagar was, ‘Sir, how are these people here? He was not given entry. Then the Sports Minister entered the field despite not being a part of the show flow. While taking the photo, he first touched Messi’s shoulder and waist, which was very inappropriate. Messi’s manager immediately came to me and said, ‘This guy was not part of the show flow. Why is he here? Why are there so many people here?’ I again requested the CP to remove those people.
Police and administration are responsible for that. If there was any flaw in my management, then how did Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi run smoothly with the same team? In those cities, governments and police followed the accreditation system, and the show went on smoothly. Even in Delhi, despite the presence of high-profile people, no one outside the approved list was allowed on the ground. Four days before the incident, I personally went to the DG office along with Bidhannagar CP and ADG Law and Order and clearly explained how sensitive the incident was. He assured me that everything would be handled properly.
We held 16 to 20 meetings, took every permission and documented everything. But when things went wrong I became the victim and scapegoat. Messi got upset when someone came inside to take a selfie and even pushed Rodrigo de Paul. Their managers kept asking how people who were not part of the show flow were entering the grounds. Messi had insurance coverage of about one billion dollars. Imagine if something had happened to him on the field, it would have become a national embarrassment. That’s why Messi’s team decided that they couldn’t continue because they didn’t like claustrophobic situations where people crowded around them.
This was a complete failure of the police and administration. They formed a special investigation team, but interrogated only me. I told him that everything is already visible in the public domain and is being telecast live. Why was the Sports Minister never questioned? Why were the bureaucrats who entered the field not interrogated? That’s why I say the investigation was not fair. How can the police investigate their own associates? Bidhannagar CP and DG were show-caused, yet the same CP was part of the investigation team.
Question: You indicated that political interference played a role in this fiasco. Did Arup Biswas or people associated with him directly interfere in operational decisions during the event?
Satadru Dutta: The first thing they did was to press me for additional access to the grounds and an accreditation card, which I ultimately refused to give. Then I was told that there was ‘pressure’ and if I did not cooperate, there could be problems in organizing the event. My team handling the validation was reportedly kept in a room for about an hour and told they would not be allowed to leave until additional cards were approved. That kind of pressure was created by the minister’s team and the Salt Lake officials. We had issued 393 recognition cards, all with designated areas approved by police and security officials. Even I, as a promoter, was wearing a recognition card. But the people who entered the field did not have any card. So how did the police give them permission? If I was incompetent then how did the same team run Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi smoothly?
Q: After Kolkata, Lionel Messi traveled to Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi, where the events appeared quite smooth despite the presence of political leaders and VIPs on the ground. Your thoughts on that?
Satadru Dutta: Absolutely. Every VIP acted in a mature manner because they understood the situation. If you look at Mumbai and Delhi, many Bollywood stars, Sachin Tendulkar and many high-profile personalities were present. The Chief Minister in Mumbai was very polite and courteous. Mr. Jaitley, Jai Shah and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta were also present in Delhi. Everyone behaved maturely. The problem in Calcutta was that we had an immature sports minister who used his power and influence and turned it into his personal show by taking pictures.
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Question: Can you please throw light on what happened after the Kolkata incident, how you were detained and what exactly happened during that time after Messi’s sudden departure?
Satadru Dutta: Basically, we left because Messi’s manager was unwilling to proceed on the field after the situation became chaotic. When we reached the airport the DG came there and said that I should not be allowed to board the flight. Messi’s team itself was telling the police, ‘What is his fault? Call the minister. These were the exact words he used. But in Bengal they needed a scapegoat. They wanted to save themselves. Obviously the police also wanted to protect themselves. A scapegoat came to save the government.
Question: After the controversy arose, you spent 38 days in custody. Did anyone from the government or administration personally reach out to you during that phase?
Satadru Dutta: No, I have always had faith in the legal system of India. Once I got bail, I decided to proceed legally after consulting my lawyers. Everything in Bengal is driven by influence and pressure. They tried to pressure me to remain silent. But God is a leveler. Now I have got a chance to speak and I am not stopping.
Q: You recently said, ‘Now it’s my turn.’ According to you, which truths about the Kolkata Messi episode have still not been revealed publicly?
Satadru Dutta: I have been organizing stadium events for the last 15 years and this has never happened before. Typically, it is normal to take two or three additional photos. But here someone turned it into a private event by inviting bureaucrats, family members and others for photographs. DG and CP were standing there and no one stopped them. I kept shouting and requesting them to vacate the field, but no one listened. At least one thousand policemen were present inside the stadium.
Q: What are your next steps now, especially as a new government is about to take charge of the state?
I will obviously take the legal route. Despite bringing 22 football legends including Messi to India for their first private event, I was defamed. My lawyers are preparing a defamation case. I will also file a lawsuit for damages because fans lost the opportunity to see their hero properly. I will file a case against anyone who enters the arena without recognition or authorization, no matter how powerful they are. I would also request a fair investigation from the new government and the courts.
Q: After everything, the controversy, the political storm, the criticism and the jail time, do you regret bringing Messi to Kolkata?
Satadru Dutta: Of course, I regret it. I could have sold this event elsewhere and made more money. But as a Bengali from Kolkata, I wanted football fans here to experience it. “I never thought that an immature person would destroy the entire event in an attempt to take advantage of himself.
