US EditionMessi was ‘unhappy with being touched or hugged’ at Kolkata event: Organiser tells SIT
Messi left early after being surrounded and touched by unauthorized attendees amid crowd control failures at Salt Lake Stadium, organisers and officials are under investigation.
- On December 13, Lionel Messi left Salt Lake Stadium within minutes because he was unhappy with being touched or hugged, Satadru Dutta told the Special Investigation Team.
- Organisers say initial ground access was expanded after a `very influential person` reached Salt Lake Stadium, tripling passes despite announcements, and thousands of spectators crowded the field area.
- Dutta told investigators funding came partly from sponsors and ticket sales, noting Messi was paid Rs 89 crore and over Rs 20 crore was frozen in his accounts.
- The West Bengal government formed an SIT to investigate, and on Friday, the SIT raided Satadru Dutta's house seizing documents while Aroop Biswas resigned pending the investigation.
- Investigators say they are verifying organisers' claims and police are examining whether expanded access directly contributed to crowd control breakdown, with Satadru Dutta saying event flowchart was disturbed.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Arrested organiser tells SIT why ‘unhappy’ Messi left Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium early
During prolonged questioning by officers of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), Dutta said Messi "did not like being touched on the back or being hugged" and that the concern had been conveyed in advance by the foreign security officials responsible for the footballer's protection, he said.
The Siasat Daily
Messi was 'unhappy' with being touched at Kolkata event: Dutta tells SIT
Kolkata: Satadru Dutta, the arrested main organiser of Lionel Messi event here on December 13, has told investigators that the football icon was “unhappy with being touched or hugged” during his appearance at the Salt Lake Stadium and left before staying there full-time as scheduled, a source in the SIT said on Saturday. During prolonged questioning by officers of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), Dutta said Messi “did not like being touched…
Times of India
The Economic TimesMessi was 'unhappy' with being touched at Kolkata event, arrested main organiser tells SIT
Satadru Dutta, the main organizer of the Lionel Messi event in Kolkata, has revealed the football star was unhappy with being touched and hugged by fans. Messi reportedly left the Salt Lake Stadium before his scheduled time due to the overwhelming crowd.
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