Kolkata: Former West Bengal sports minister Aroop Biswas on Thursday did not appear before police for questioning in a case related to the chaos at the Lionel Messi event at Salt Lake Stadium in December, and sought two weeks for it, citing ill health, a police officer said.
He was asked to appear before investigators by June 5 after an FIR was lodged against him by event organiser Shatadru Dutta, accusing the former minister of black-marketing tickets, extortion, criminal intimidation and cheating in connection with last year's high-profile football event.
The TMC leader cited health issues and stated that he was not in a position to attend the summons at present.
"We have received a communication from him (Aroop Biswas) seeking additional time on medical grounds. The request is being examined in accordance with legal procedures. Further steps will be taken as per the course of the investigation," the police officer said.
The development drew a sharp reaction from Dutta, who alleged that the former minister was attempting to delay the investigation.
In a social media post, Dutta said, "A sudden illness after receiving a summons? A medical certificate may buy time, but it cannot help anyone escape justice."
He further claimed that the timing of the illness was difficult to view as a coincidence and vowed to pursue the case.
Dutta, who was the main organiser of Messi's India Tour, had lodged the FIR at Bidhannagar Dakshin Police Station on May 17, accusing the former sports minister of offences under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including cheating, criminal intimidation and extortion.
He has alleged that nearly 22,000 tickets for the Messi event were sold on the black market and claimed that Biswas had used his position as sports minister to exert undue influence during the programme.
The event at the Salt Lake Stadium on December 13, 2025, had descended into chaos after a large number of people entered the venue allegedly without valid access, leading to security breaches and crowd disorder.
Many spectators who had bought expensive tickets complained that they could neither properly see Messi nor enjoy the programme due to overcrowding and mismanagement.
Messi left the ground quickly amid the commotion, following which sections of angry spectators vandalised parts of the stadium.
The controversy had triggered a political storm at the time, with fingers being pointed at the then sports minister Aroop Biswas over alleged lapses in planning and crowd management.
The controversy stems from an event organised at the Salt Lake Stadium on December 13 last year, featuring Argentina football legend Lionel Messi. The programme ended amid chaos, with sections of the audience vandalising parts of the stadium to vent out their anger over being.
Dutta was subsequently arrested by police and spent 37 days in custody before securing bail. Following his release, he blamed Biswas for the event's collapse and the losses suffered by the organisers.
