Lionel Messi's management team put it in writing: the security at Salt Lake Stadium collapsed, a sitting government minister broke the rules, and people who had no business being on that field were there anyway. The letter, reportedly sent to the Kolkata Police Commissioner, is about as direct an accusation as you'll see from a footballer's team.
According to Bengali newspaper Sambad Pratidin, the letter lays out a specific protocol that was in place for Messi's appearance last December. No VIPs or special guests on the field. Three camera operators, maximum. What actually happened? Around 40 unauthorised photographers and camera operators crammed into the reserved area.
The minister at the centre of it
Then Bengal Sports Minister Arup Biswas didn't just enter the field — he allegedly made repeated attempts to get physically close to Messi, placing his hands on the player's shoulders and waist. According to the letter, this was unsolicited and unwanted. It directly violated the pre-agreed terms of Messi's presence.
Messi, Luis Suarez, and Rodrigo de Paul were gone within 25 minutes. The event was supposed to run for an hour. Planned segments were cancelled. Messi's team made clear in the letter that the chaotic exit was a direct consequence of the security failure — not a choice.
The fallout was immediate. Fans who had paid upwards of ₹4,000 a ticket — just to see Messi in person after years of watching him on TV — were left furious. Property at Salt Lake Stadium was damaged in the chaos that followed.
The arrest and the ignored warnings
A man named Dutta was detained at Kolkata Airport hours later as he attempted to fly to Hyderabad, Messi's next stop. He claims the warnings in the letter were raised even at the time of his arrest, and that police chose to overlook them to protect themselves and Biswas.
"Even when I was arrested, these things were said repeatedly. But the police ignored them to save themselves and Arup Biswas. There can be no greater proof than this," Dutta said.
Whether that letter prompts any meaningful accountability remains an open question. What it does confirm is that Messi's team didn't walk away from Kolkata quietly.
