Kolkata: A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday extended the interim protection from coercive police action, including arrest, to former West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas till November 30 in the case related to alleged irregularities during Lionel Messi’s ‘GOAT India Tour’ event.
The event was held at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan in Salt Lake on December 13 last year, where crowd management issues led to chaos and the footballer’s early exit due to security concerns.
The previous interim protection granted to Biswas in the matter was to end on August 17. Before that, the single-judge bench of Justice Sougata Bhattacharya extended interim protection till November 30, bringing great relief for the former state sports minister.
Argentine football star Lionel Messi arrived in Kolkata on December 13, 2025. His visit created chaos at the Yuva Bharati Sports Complex, Salt Lake. Biswas, who accompanied Messi throughout the event, blocked the view of the thousands of spectators who had bought high-priced tickets to have a glimpse of Messi.
Besides Biswas, his close associates were also surrounding Messi, further blocking the spectators’ view. Thereafter, the agitated spectators vandalised the stadium, following which Messi was forced to leave the ground within a few minutes.
Biswas had to resign from the post of Sports Minister due to severe criticism that he faced over that incident.
Following an earlier order of the Calcutta High Court, an independent investigation by a committee is underway to find out Biswas’ role behind the flaring up of the situation that day.
Last week, the West Bengal Police sought additional time from the Calcutta High Court to file a report on what exactly happened at the Salt Lake Stadium that day.
Biswas, a four-time Trinamool Congress legislator from Tollygunge Assembly constituency in the southern outskirts of Kolkata, was defeated in the recently concluded Assembly polls. Once an extremely trusted lieutenant of the former West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, Biswas is now with the “rebel but majority” faction in Trinamool Congress led by legislator Ritabrata Banerjee.
(IANS)
