Hours after the much-anticipated visit of Argentina football icon Lionel Messi to Kolkata spiralled into a ‘messy’ event, organiser Satadru Dutta reportedly tried to leave the city for Hyderabad, where Messi had a scheduled program, but was stopped by officials from doing so. The organiser was reportedly deplaned moments before the takeoff from the Kolkata airport and arrested. Satadru Dutta – the chief organiser of GOAT India Tour 2025 – who widely promoted the event as “a Satadru Dutta intitiative, ” – found himself at the centre of attention on Saturday after scenes of chaos erupted at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium. The supporters, who came in big numbers, hardly got a glimpse of Messi – leading to angry fans vandalising the stadium. Dutta asked to deplane, assurances of refund - What happened at the Airport? Satadru Dutta had reportedly made it to the aircraft, but it was just a matter of some minutes after which Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar reached the Kolkata airport and ordered that Dutta be stopped from flying out of the city, officials said. According to a report by TOI, Satadru Dutta had arrived at the airport around 12.25 pm, completed security checks and boarded the aircraft at about 12.40 pm. Police officials arrived at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport on Sunday, where Satadru Dutta was accompanying Messi and his Inter Miami teammates ahead of the next leg of the footballer's India tour. Dutta was asked to deplane around 1 pm and was kept inside a vehicle on the tarmac while police decided the next course of action. During this time, he allegedly attempted to negotiate with officers—initially denying responsibility for the Salt Lake Stadium fiasco and later offering to submit a personal bond assuring refunds to nearly 60,000 spectators, mentioned a report by TOI citing witnesses. Salt Lake stadium fiasco What was projected as a landmark celebration of global football quickly unravelled into scenes of confusion and anger at Salt Lake Stadium – Kolkata – after angry fans threw water bottles, chairs at officials as they missed out catching a glimpse of their beloved footballer Lionel Messi. View full Image Kolkata: Satadru Datta, the prime organiser of the Lionel Messi football event at Salt Lake Stadium, being brought to Bidhannagar court, in Kolkata, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. Satadru was arrested on Saturday following widespread chaos at the venue, which prompted the Argentine World Cup-winning captain to leave the field early. (PTI Photo/Swapan Mahapatra) (PTI12_14_2025_000116B) (PTI) From ₹ 4000 to amounts going as high as ₹ 32,000 – the unrest was fuelled by frustration among fans who had paid whopping amounts to get a glimpse of Messi in the ‘Mecca of Indian Football,’ Kolkata. Their anger was directed at a group of nearly 100 people who surrounded Messi upon his arrival at the Salt Lake stadium. The group included West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas, Mohun Bagan president Debasish Dutta, general secretary Srinjoy Bose, and members of Messi’s entourage, including Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul. View full Image Satadru Dutta – the organiser of the Kolkata leg of GOAT India Tour 2025 – who widely promoted the event as “a Satadru Dutta intitiative,” – found himself at the centre of attention on Sunday after scenes of chaos erupted at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium, forcing the Argentina captain to leave the venue barely 20 minutes after arriving. On Sunday, a Bidhannagar court sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days of police custody, as authorities investigate widespread disorder that erupted during the Argentine superstar’s GOAT India Tour 2025 stop in the city.
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Was Satadru Dutta trying to leave Kolkata after Messi event chaos? Organiser deplaned moments before takeoff, arrested
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