Four out of the six members of Satadru Dutta’s team summoned by the Bidhannagar police in connection with Lionel Messi’s event at the Salt Lake Stadium turned up before the police on Tuesday.
The remaining two have sought time to appear before the police.
The four who came were examined for several hours before being released.
Bidhannagar police commissioner Mukesh said four out of the six summoned persons appeared before the police, while the remaining two have sought time.
Laltu Das, a former footballer and a close associate of Dutta, who was one of the six to have been summoned, said the police asked him about his “role” in the management of the event. “I told them that I helped Satadru (Dutta) only as a friend. I am not formally attached to the company. I had just attended a few meetings and helped him by submitting compliance documents in government offices,” Das said.
Police sources, however, said Dutta had told the police that Das was their “project manager”.
Investigators asked Das if he had any financial transactions with Dutta’s company. Das’s response was negative.
Others who were summoned included Supriyo Dasgupta, Manali Bhattacharya, Sangbaran Karmakar, Amit Kumar and Aditya Das.
Police said Sangbaran Karmakar and Amit Kumar did not turn up for the interrogation and have sought time.
Karmakar, Dutta’s “team organiser,” was allegedly part of most of the internal meetings. Sources said Karmakar was present at the recce meeting held between Dutta and officials from Messi’s team who came to Calcutta and visited the Salt Lake Stadium on December 1, while Kumar was in charge of ticket sales.
“Kumar was looking after the sale and distribution of tickets,” an officer said.
Police sources stated that all four present on Tuesday were asked how they were associated with Satadru Dutta’s company and what role they had in managing Messi’s event last Saturday.
“We asked them about the water bottles and who permitted so many people to enter the ground. All of them claimed innocence,” said an investigator.
Despite a ban on water bottles inside the stadium, thousands of them found their way to the stands. A few hours later, the same bottles acted as missiles and landed on the stadium.
Arrest
Bidhannagar police arrested Rupak Mandal from the Dhapa area off EM Bypass on Tuesday evening in connection with the vandalism at the Salt Lake Stadium. The number of arrests for vandalism is now six.
