The Calcutta High Court will hear multiple PILs seeking transfer of the probe into the Salt Lake Stadium violence during the Lionel Messi event to central agencies. Petitioners have raised concerns over crowd mismanagement, financial irregularities, and the credibility of the state-appointed inquiry committee.
Kolkata: The fallout of the violent chaos that broke out at Salt Lake Stadium during the Lionel Messi showcasing event on Saturday has now reached the Calcutta High Court.
On Monday, Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Pal permitted the filing of three separate Public Interest Litigations (PILs) linked to the incident, which has sparked widespread criticism and political reactions across West Bengal.
The petitions seek the High Court’s intervention to transfer the investigation into the stadium violence to central agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Enforcement Directorate (ED), and the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO).
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The petitioners have raised serious concerns over the manner in which the event was organised and the subsequent handling of the probe by state authorities.
The three PILs were filed separately by West Bengal’s Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, and two advocates, Sabyasachi Chattopadhyay and Mainak Ghoshal. The court is expected to hear all three petitions together later this week.
Appearing on behalf of Suvendu Adhikari, advocate Bilwadal Bhattacharya requested the court’s permission to file a petition seeking a deeper judicial probe into the reasons that led to the massive crowd unrest and violence inside the stadium.
The petition claims that serious administrative failures and mismanagement resulted in the unprecedented rampage.
The petition also questions the credibility and authority of the three-member inquiry committee set up by the West Bengal government, which is headed by retired Calcutta High Court judge Justice Ashim Kumar Ray.
The plea alleges that the incident caused embarrassment to the state at an international level and resulted in a significant loss of face for West Bengal before the entire world.
The other two petitions echoed similar concerns and alleged that the state government formed the inquiry committee in undue haste, raising doubts about its independence and effectiveness.
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These petitions further demanded a thorough investigation into possible financial irregularities connected to the sale of event tickets and alleged suspicious money transactions linked to the organisers of the event.
Meanwhile, Bidhannagar Police, which is currently handling the case, has taken strict financial action. The police have ordered the freezing of bank accounts of the organisation responsible for selling and distributing the tickets.
Authorities have also directed an immediate halt to all monetary transactions between the organisation and Shatadru Dutta, the prime organiser of the event, who has since been arrested in connection with the violence and mismanagement.
The high-level inquiry committee headed by retired justice Ashim Kumar Ray, which also includes the state’s Chief Secretary and Home Secretary as members, visited the vandalised Salt Lake Stadium on Sunday.
The committee inspected the damaged property and later informed the media that it would submit its report within the next two weeks.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced the formation of this committee within hours of the incident. She stated that the committee’s role would be to fix accountability and recommend measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
According to official estimates, the violent rampage by spectators caused damage worth more than Rs 2 crore to the stadium infrastructure.
The unrest erupted after Lionel Messi made only a brief and heavily guarded appearance at the venue. This was his first visit to the Salt Lake Stadium since 2011.
Large sections of the crowd were left disappointed and angry as they were unable to see the football icon despite travelling long distances and paying high prices for tickets.
The frustration eventually turned into violence, leading to large-scale destruction of property and raising serious questions about crowd control, event planning, and financial transparency.
The matter has now taken a serious legal turn, with the Calcutta High Court set to examine whether an independent central agency probe is required to ensure accountability, transparency, and justice in connection with the high-profile fiasco.
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