Messi Event Chaos: SIT Inspects Salt Lake Stadium, Another Held

MP, 18 Dec 2025, Kolkata: A Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Director of Security, Peeyush Pandey, on Wednesday visited the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan (VYBK), or Salt Lake Stadium, to assess the ground situation following the chaos during Argentine football icon Lionel Messi’s visit. The SIT also visited the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate and formally took over the probe into the alleged mismanagement that triggered widespread outrage and damage to public property.

The four-member team comprises Pandey, Additional Director General (Law and Order) Jawed Shamim, Additional Director General (South Bengal) Supratim Sarkar, and Barrackpore Police Commissioner Murli Dhar.

Sources said the strength of the SIT is likely to be increased, with four more police officers expected to be inducted to ensure a smooth and speedy investigation. Forensic experts have also visited the stadium and collected samples as part of the probe.

Meanwhile, police arrested another person in connection with the vandalism of public property and attacks on police personnel. The accused, identified as Rupak Mondal alias Poltu of the Chingrighata area, was produced before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate’s (ACJM) Court in Bidhannagar on Wednesday and remanded to judicial custody till December 22.

Earlier, on Monday, five other persons were arrested for vandalising the stadium and assaulting police personnel and were also remanded to judicial custody till December 22.

All six arrested accused were identified through multiple video recordings and CCTV footage. According to sources, police have marked several other individuals visible in the footage and are working to establish their identities and addresses.

The city witnessed large-scale chaos during the Messi event on Saturday, December 13, resulting in extensive damage to public property, estimated to be worth crores of rupees, and an apparent security breach. The incident has been attributed to alleged mismanagement by private organiser Shatadru Dutta and lapses on the part of the police administration. Dutta was later arrested at the airport after a suo motu FIR was registered at the Bidhannagar South police station. He was produced before a court on Sunday and remanded to police custody for 14 days.