Former sports minister Aroop Biswas told police that he had gained access to the Salt Lake Stadium pitch and reached close to Lionel Messi through a “sports quota”, sources said.

According to the sources, Biswas was unable to furnish any documentary evidence to support the claim when he appeared at Bidhannagar South police station on Monday.

He had been summoned in connection with an alleged extortion and cheating case linked to Argentine football icon Lionel Messi’s visit to the Salt Lake Stadium on December 13, 2025.

This was Biswas’s second appearance before the police in connection with this case. Sources said he would be summoned again towards the end of this month.

The FIR against Biswas was registered based on a complaint filed by Satadru Dutta, the organiser of the Messi event, who alleged that the former minister had extorted complimentary passes and subsequently sold them on the black market. The Bidhannagar South police station initiated the case following the complaint.

Biswas had earlier been asked to produce documents and other evidence explaining how he gained access to the stadium pitch and came into proximity with Messi. During the Argentine star's visit, Biswas was seen posing for photographs with his arms around Messi and holding him by the waist.

Biswas was also seen facilitating the entry of several relatives onto the ground during Messi's visit

“Biswas said he was not aware of how his relatives had entered the field and that he was not responsible for their activities,” said an officer who is part of the probing team.

Police said all these moments were captured in various videos, which were circulated on social media. “We have collected these videos, and he will be shown all of them,” said an investigator.

Biswas was also questioned about the allegations that he had extorted 22,000 complimentary passes for the event from the organiser and later sold them illegally at a premium.