Sports promoter Satadru Dutta, who organised Lionel Messi’s GOAT Tour of India 2025, has finally spoken about the controversy surrounding the Kolkata event at Salt Lake Stadium, which later led to his arrest and over a month in jail for alleged mismanagement.
First reaction after months of silence
Breaking his silence for the first time since the incident, Dutta reflected on the chaos that unfolded during the high-profile football event. The exhibition match featuring Argentine superstar Lionel Messi had drawn massive attention, but soon turned into controversy over crowd control and organisational lapses.
With the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) no longer in power in West Bengal, Dutta has now broken his silence on the incident, saying he is determined to address and challenge the fallout from what happened that day.
“Vote here ghechis bole tor Shasti holo. eta bhabis na .. ebar court niye jabo .. dorkar hole Supreme Court porjonto jabo. Damage ar defamation case ami korboi. Sesh ami dheke charbo (Just because you have lost in the elections, don’t think that you have been punished. I will lodge a defamation case and if need will go to Supreme Court. I will fight till the end),” he added.
“Bar bar Barun korechilam ekahne chobhi tolaben na .. kintu dadagiri kore tulechilo.. ebar dhek kemun lage.. sob hisab dite hobe (Repeatedly, I told him not to click pictures here. But, he using his power went on to click photos. He will have to pay for this),” added Dutta further in another story.
Dutta, who was at the centre of the event’s execution, acknowledged the intense scrutiny that followed in the aftermath of the Salt Lake Stadium episode.
Arrest and legal fallout after Salt Lake Stadium chaos
Following the event, Dutta was arrested on charges linked to mismanagement and safety concerns. Authorities had flagged serious concerns over planning and crowd handling during the Messi tour stop in Kolkata.
He remained in custody for over a month before being released, with the case continuing to draw attention due to the scale of the event and the involvement of one of world football’s biggest icons.
Event under scrutiny as investigation continues
The GOAT Tour of India 2025, which was intended as a landmark sporting spectacle, instead became mired in controversy after operational issues at Salt Lake Stadium came under review.
The incident has since remained under the scanner, raising broader questions over event management standards for large-scale international sporting showcases in India.
“Now it’s my turn”: Satadru Dutta breaks silence on Messi Kolkata event chaos
Dutta said he plans to reveal details of everything that took place in the run-up to the December 13 event as well as on the day itself at a press conference in the coming days. Without naming anyone, he strongly hinted at those in positions of authority, stating that “this is just the beginning,” signalling that more disclosures could follow.
“Press conference is coming soon. Everything will be exposed. You sabotaged my event. You victimised me. You made my three years of effort and perseverance go in vain. You made all the fans disappointed. You put me in jail for 38 days. Now it’s my turn,” Dutta said.
“They thought silence could bury the truth… Forced my team to issue ground access cards. When they refused, ground access card access was denied. You locked them in room arrest. Intimidation. Control. Your stooges didn’t just interfere… they blackmailed my event. They sabotaged everything,” Dutta further wrote.