Thousands who felt cheated after failing to get a glimpse of football great Lionel Messi at the Salt Lake Stadium on December 13 are still awaiting a refund for their tickets, one and a half months on.
Bidhannagar police had made a prayer before the court requesting it to direct chief organiser Satadru Dutta to return the money.
The hearing scheduled on Thursday did not take place as the judge was absent, a court official said.
Dutta’s lawyer Soumyajit Raha said on Thursday that he had submitted a response to the court on why the money in Dutta’s account should not be distributed among the people who purchased the tickets.
“My client has not been chargesheeted. He has not been proven guilty. Then how can it be concluded that the money in his bank account is the proceeds of a crime?” Raha said.
The process of refunding the money from Dutta’s account is “legally non-sustainable”, he added.
As many as 34,576 tickets worth ₹20 crore were sold online.
The court had earlier ordered a freeze on Dutta’s bank accounts.
Many people had spent upwards of ₹10,000 for a single ticket but failed to spot Messi, surrounded by hundreds of hawkers. An allegedly miffed Messi left the venue abruptly.
Violence erupted in the stands with angry fans smashing seats and hurling bottles on the pitch.
According to sources, the sale value of 34,576 tickets was ₹20,10,60,849. Dutta’s bank accounts have a little more than ₹22 crore.
The police stated that of the ₹22 crore, ₹20.10 crore was to be refunded as money from ticket sales.
A resident of Jadavpur who went to see Messi with his family but failed said: “I am awaiting a formal communication from the authorities. I have been following the court case on news channels and newspapers. I hope the authorities will conclude soon.”
The matter will be next heard on February 2.
Dutta, the only person arrested in connection with the alleged negligence that led to the fiasco that heaped shame on Calcutta’s sporting history, was granted bail earlier this week.
“So far, 108 witnesses have been examined, but the investigation is still pending. Until that is over, no one can jump to any conclusion and term my client as guilty,” the lawyer said.