The special investigation team (SIT) probing the Messi fiasco at the Salt Lake Stadium is considering seeking a court order to refund ticket purchases to attendees who acquired tickets for the event on December 13.

Sources in the police said that if the court allows, the process of initiating the refund would commence.

Around 35,000 tickets were sold for the event. However, due to mismanagement by the organisers, most people who bought tickets failed to get even a glimpse of Lionel Messi. The discontent led to vandalism in the stadium. The irate spectators ripped seats and hurled them onto the pitch. The crowd also threw water bottles towards the ground.

Messi left the venue much before the scheduled time, allegedly in a huff.

Satadru Dutta, the main organiser, was arrested the same day. The police had announced within hours of the incident that they had asked the reselling company that sold the tickets not to release the proceeds from the sales.

According to sources, the ticket sales have generated ₹19 crore.

During the investigation, police sources said they found ₹22 crore in Dutta’s account. The account has been frozen.

“The preliminary investigation has revealed that the people who purchased the tickets were cheated, as what happened at the stadium that led to Messi’s leaving midway could have been avoided,” said a source in Bengal police attached to the probe.

Sources said the SIT is likely to move the court seeking permission for the refund.

According to protocol, any recovered article that is from the proceeds of a crime must be returned to its owner through the court.

The authorities stated that they would request the ticket reselling company to provide the database of individuals who bought tickets by registering their mobile numbers or email addresses.

Dutta, who was apprehended on December 13, is currently in judicial custody. He is the sole individual to have been detained in relation to this matter.

The state established an inquiry committee that included a retired high court judge, the chief secretary, and the home secretary.

The committee issued show cause notices to director-general of police Rajeev Kumar, Bidhannagar police commissioner Mukesh, and sports and youth affairs secretary Rajesh Kumar Sinha, while also suspending Bidhannagar deputy commissioner Aneesh Sarkar.