The Bengal government on Tuesday launched a coordinated damage-control drive with chief minister Mamata Banerjee accepting Aroop Biswas’s offer to quit as sports minister “for the sake of an impartial probe” into the mismanagement at the Salt Lake Stadium during Lionel Messi’s event on Saturday.

But Biswas, a powerful figure in Mamata’s cabinet, continues to hold the power and housing portfolios, prompting many to question his and the state government’s commitment to a fair investigation. Biswas has faced tremendous public flak and ridicule for hijacking the Messi event and depriving fans of even a glimpse of the football superstar by encircling him along with his acolytes and a host of other movers and shakers from the administrative and political dispensations.

In a handwritten letter addressed to “Respected Didi”, Biswas wanted to be relieved of his responsibilities in the sports department so the probe panel constituted by the chief minister could conduct an impartial inquiry. Many questioned why Biswas did not even use an official letterhead, and the minister faced another round of lampooning for the spelling mistakes in the letter written in Bangla.

A government-formed committee headed by a former judge on Tuesday show-caused director-general of police Rajeev Kumar, whose retirement is due next month, and asked him to give an explanation within 24 hours on the mismanagement and lapses at the Salt Lake Stadium. He also has to explain the lack of coordination between various agencies and the private organiser of the Messi event.

Bidhannagar police commissioner Mukesh has to explain within 24 hours the role and conduct of the police unit and the mishandling of the situation.

Youth affairs and sports secretary Rajesh Kumar Sinha will have to explain, also within 24 hours, the cause behind the alleged lapses.

Department proceedings have been initiated against Bidhanagar deputy commissioner Aneesh Sarkar for alleged negligence. He has been put under suspension.

The committee announced the formation of a special investigation team comprising the state’s director of security Piyush Pandey, additional director-general (law and order) Jawed Shamin, additional director-general (south Bengal) Supratim Sarkar and Barrackpore police commissioner Murlidhar. All are IPS officers.

Pandey, who is the seniormost officer in the SIT and will head the team, visited the stadium on Tuesday evening. Sources said the full team would visit the spot on Wednesday.

While leaving office on Tuesday evening, Mukesh told reporters he had yet to get any formal communication.

Many saw in the crackdown a “desperate attempt” by the Bengal government to salvage its image, in tatters after the debacle around a global icon.

“A showcause to the director-general of police is unprecedented,” a senior bureaucrat said. “He is the highest officer of the state police. Holding him responsible for the mismanagement of an event is a statement on the entire police force,” an official added, preferring anonymity.

Accepting Biswas’s offer to quit, Mamata issued a letter appreciating his move.

“I appreciate the sentiment and intention of the Sports Minister to offer a relief from the Sports Department for the sake of impartial inquiry into the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) incident on 13th December, 2025. I think he is very much correct and until and unless the impartial inquiry is over, the Sports Department will be looked after by me for the time being,” she wrote.

Sources said the inquiry committee had found “gross negligence” in the role of the police in managing an event of this stature. Satadru Dutta, the main organiser of the Messi show, was arrested within hours of the violence at the stadium.

But the slew of moves on Tuesday was the first time the state government had initiated visible steps against its own machinery.

The committee, headed by retired Justice Ashim Kumar Ray and comprising the state chief secretary and home secretary, met on Tuesday morning, hours before their recommendations were made public.

“We saw a lot of broken chairs, damaged gates and water bottles strewn all over the place. The police had announced that no water bottle would be allowed inside, so how did so many bottles reach the venue? Later, we learned that there was a stall inside. Those who were performing duty there, their role cannot be ruled out,” Ray said.

Hours before the formal announcement, the retired judge also mentioned thatthe committee would recommend the formation of anSIT. A few hours later, they issued a document announcing the steps they hadrecommended.

Almost simultaneously, youth and sports affairsminister Biswas offered toresign.

Deb Kumar Nandan, the CEO of Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan (VYBK), the formal name of SaltLake Stadium, was on Tuesday relieved of his duties for alleged mismanagement and lapses during the event.