Bengal former sports minister Aroop Biswas appeared before Bidhannagar Police on Thursday and was questioned for more than three hours in connection with an investigation into alleged irregularities linked to a 2025 event featuring Argentine football legend Lionel Messi at Salt Lake Stadium.
Biswas reached Bidhannagar South Police Station around 9.55 am after skipping two earlier summonses and delaying compliance with a third notice. His appearance came after the Calcutta High Court granted him conditional protection from coercive police action.
The Trinamool Congress leader left the police station around 1.15 pm in a vehicle with dark tinted glasses. Police sources said he has been directed to appear again on June 22 and bring relevant documents related to the case.
The investigation stems from a complaint filed by event organiser Shatadru Dutta, who accused Biswas of ticket black-marketing, extortion, cheating and criminal intimidation in connection with the December 13 event at Salt Lake Stadium that featured Messi alongside fellow Argentine stars Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul.
The event ended in chaos, with sections of spectators allegedly vandalising parts of the stadium after claiming they were unable to see Messi despite paying high prices for tickets. Many attendees alleged that influential individuals surrounded the football icon on the ground, preventing fans from getting a clear view.
Based on Dutta's complaint, Bidhannagar Police registered an FIR against Biswas on May 17 under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges of cheating, extortion and criminal intimidation.
Dutta, who was arrested following the stadium controversy on allegations of event mismanagement and spent 37 days in jail, has claimed that nearly 22,000 tickets were sold through the black market. He also alleged that Biswas used his position as sports minister to exert undue influence over the programme and violated on-pitch protocols.
Biswas has denied all allegations, maintaining that he had no role in the financial aspects of the event.
Earlier this month, on June 5, the former minister had sought two weeks' time from Bidhannagar South Police Station to appear before investigators, citing health reasons.
Meanwhile, Dutta claimed on Wednesday that Messi's communication team had written to Bidhannagar Police and held Biswas responsible for the violence that broke out at the stadium.
According to Dutta, the communication also cleared him of allegations of mismanagement that led to his arrest and imprisonment during the previous Trinamool Congress administration.
Bidhannagar Police, however, declined to comment on the reported communication.
