West Bengal Sports Minister, Arup Biswas has resigned from his post following the disturbance at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium during an event featuring Argentine football legend Lionel Messi. In a letter to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Arup Biswas said he was stepping down to ensure a fair and independent investigation into the incident.
Angry fans vandalized the stadium
On Saturday (December 13, 2025), fans were eagerly waiting for Lionel Messi at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. Many people had bought expensive tickets, but when Messi arrived, he was surrounded by a crowd of VIPs. The circle of politicians, police officers and other VIPs did not allow the audience to even catch a glimpse of him. Angry fans then vandalized the stadium.
The situation went out of control, due to which the police had to resort to large-scale lathi charge. Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel were deployed to restore order. Following the disturbance, Messi left the stadium ahead of schedule. The main organizer of the event, Shatadru Dutta, has been arrested in connection with this incident. The arrest followed an uproar and vandalism at the venue over high ticket prices and limited access to the football icon.
SIT formed to investigate the incident
A four-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to investigate the vandalism at the Salt Lake Stadium. West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant constituted a four-member SIT comprising senior IPS officers. The Chief Secretary informed that DCP Bidhannagar Anish Sarkar has been suspended for dereliction of duty, and departmental proceedings have been initiated against him.
The Chief Secretary further said that DCP Bidhannagar Anish Sarkar has been suspended for dereliction of duty, and departmental proceedings have been initiated against him. He said a show cause notice has been issued to Bengal Sports Secretary Rajesh Kumar Sinha, and the services of Salt Lake Stadium Chief Executive Officer DK Nandan have been terminated.
