Inquiry panel members reach Salt Lake stadium; organiser denied bail, sent to 14-day police custody

Satadru Dutta, the main organiser and promoter of Lionel Messi's 'G.O.A.T. Tour of India', has been denied bail in the chaos and violence that unfolded on Saturday afternoon at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium during the Argentine superstar's visit. Dutta has been sent to 14-day police custody over the Kolkata stadium chaos.

Members of a committee, set up by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to inquire about the chaos during Argentine football icon Lionel Messi’s event in Salt Lake stadium a day ago, reached the venue on Sunday to carry out an on-ground inspection, officials said. The panel members, headed by retired Calcutta High Court judge Justice Ashim Kumar Ray, will conduct the probe, they said. Chief Secretary Manoj Pant and Home Secretary Nandini Chakravorty are also members of the inquiry team. The members will inspect the stadium premises, crowd management arrangements and facilities provided to spectators as part of the probe into the alleged mismanagement during Messi's event on Saturday, the officials said. CCTV footage might also be probed, they said. The committee has been tasked with fixing responsibility for the lapses that led to the chaos and recommending measures to prevent a recurrence of such incidents at high-profile events.

What was billed as a marquee sporting spectacle unravelled into disorder as thousands of spectators protested after being unable to get a clear glimpse of Messi, triggering vandalism inside the stadium. The widespread chaos at the venue prompted the Argentine World Cup-winning captain to leave the field early. In the aftermath of the incident, the police arrested the main organiser of the event on charges of mismanagement and public disorder, and an FIR was lodged. Chief Minister Banerjee had on Saturday apologised to Messi and football fans, describing the incident as deeply disturbing, and announced the formation of the inquiry committee to ensure accountability.