The Calcutta High Court has extended interim protection from coercive police action to former West Bengal sports minister Aroop Biswas until November 30 in connection with the criminal investigation into chaos at a Lionel Messi event in Kolkata last year.
Court Proceedings and Probe Reports
Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya granted the extension while hearing a petition filed by Biswas seeking to quash the criminal proceedings against him. The court set November 17 as the date for the next hearing on the quashing petition. Justice Bhattacharyya clarified that the court proceedings do not prevent the investigating agency from continuing its probe or submitting a report to the jurisdictional magistrate.
During Tuesday’s proceedings, West Bengal Advocate General Surojit Nath Mitra submitted two inquiry reports previously requested by the court. The submissions included independent findings from the West Bengal Director General of Police and the Bidhannagar Police Commissioner. Legal representatives for Biswas informed the court that the former minister had complied with judicial directions by appearing for police questioning on three separate occasions.
Background and Allegations
The case originates from disruptions during an event featuring Argentine football star Lionel Messi at Salt Lake Stadium on December 13, 2025. Satadru Dutta, the owner of the event management firm responsible for organizing the showcase, filed a complaint at the Bidhannagar South police station accusing Biswas of extortion, criminal intimidation, and abuse of political and official power.
Dutta alleged that he was coerced into handing over numerous complimentary passes, accreditation cards, and close-proximity access passes, which were then illegally diverted and sold for financial gain. Following the event, Dutta was arrested on December 13 on charges of mismanagement and spent over a month in custody before being granted bail on January 19.
Previous Orders and Observations
Biswas was first granted interim protection from coercive action on June 10. During that hearing, Justice Bhattacharyya remarked that while similar programs featuring Messi were conducted without incident in Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi, the logistical failures in Kolkata damaged the city’s reputation among football fans.
As part of the June 10 ruling, the court instructed the Bidhannagar Police Commissioner to conduct an independent investigation into the causes of the event mismanagement and submit a formal report.
