Kolkata: Former West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas, who was called in for questioning by the police earlier this week over an FIR filed against him for vandalism at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan in Salt Lake during Lionel Messi’s GOAT India Tour on December 13 last year, on Thursday sought 14 days to appear for questioning.
The Bidhannagar (South) Police Station in North 24 Parganas district had sent a notice to Biswas on June 2 in connection with the FIR, and in that notice the former minister in the previous Mamata Banerjee-led state cabinet was asked to appear on June 5.
But on Thursday afternoon, that is a day before the scheduled date of appearance, he sent a letter to the Bidhannagar (South) Police Station seeking 14 days of time to appear for questioning on medical grounds. With his letter, which was sent via a messenger, the former minister also attached a medical certificate as evidence in support of his claims of physical ailment.
At the time the report was filed, there was no information whether the Bidhannagar City Police would accept his plea for 14 days of time for appearance.
Biswas, a four-time Trinamool Congress legislator from the Tollygunge Assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas district, was defeated this time by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Papiya Adhikari, an actress-turned politician, by a margin of over 6,000 votes.
The police registered the FIR on May 30, based on a complaint filed by the main organiser of the Messi event, Satadru Dutta, on May 17.
Welcoming the move, Dutta told media persons that the police were heading in the right direction to identify those responsible for the mess at the Messi event in December last year.
Earlier, during the previous Trinamool Congress regime, police had arrested Dutta in connection with the Yuva Bharati incident. He was later released on bail.
On May 17, Dutta filed a written complaint against Biswas and several others. Based on that complaint, the Bidhannagar South Police Station registered an FIR against the former minister.
After the FIR was registered on May 30, Dutta thanked current West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, current state Sports Minister Nishith Pramanik, and the state’s Director General of Police, Sidh Nath Gupta.
In his complaint, Dutta claimed that Biswas had black-marketed about 22,000 tickets for the Messi event. Based on that allegation, the Bidhannagar South Police Station started an investigation. Incidentally, the new Sports Minister, Nishith Pramanik, had spoken about opening a file on the Messi event fiasco after taking charge.
(IANS)
