Calcutta High Court gives relief to former Minister Aroop Biswas from coercive action in Messi event fiasco

The Calcutta Excessive Court on Wednesday (June 10, 2026) granted interim safety to former Sports activities Minister and senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA from Tollygunge Aroop Biswas in opposition to any coercive action in the Lionel Messi occasion case.

The case in opposition to Mr. Biswas was filed by organiser Satadru Datta, alleging extortion, dishonest, and misuse of political affect. The occasion held in December 2025 on the Salt Lake stadium ended in large chaos and vandalism, and led to main embarrassment for the ruling authorities on the worldwide stage.

That is the primary incident of relief given by the Excessive Court to any high TMC chief for the reason that crackdown started on them after their large electoral loss. Many high leaders have been jailed in the previous month.

Mr. Biswas had moved the courtroom in search of safety in opposition to any coercive action after an FIR was filed in opposition to him.

Nonetheless, Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya questioned Mr. Biswas why he had failed to flip up for questioning even after two separate notices had been despatched by the Bidhannagar police. The former Tollygunge MLA has additionally been requested by the courtroom to submit his passport and never go away station with out the courtroom’s permission.

The courtroom has additionally directed that Mr. Biswas seem earlier than the police for questioning as soon as a discover is served to him a minimum of 48 hours prior. Justice Bhattacharyya additionally added that everybody was ashamed by how the chaos unfolded on the Messi occasion.

As soon as the chaos unfolded on the occasion final yr, the Sports activities Minister was instantly suspended by then Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and organiser Mr. Datta, was arrested. Nonetheless, Mr. Datta later accused that he was made the autumn man when Mr. Biswas was the one accountable for the huge chaos on the occasion which led to Messi leaving the venue inside minutes of arriving.

Throughout the courtroom proceedings on Wednesday, Mr. Datta’s counsel stated that he was coerced into giving 22,000 complimentary tickets, different accreditation playing cards, and shut proximity tickets by Mr. Biswas.

“When you give us safety we are going to go tomorrow or day after, at any time when they ask,” Mr. Biswas’s council stated whereas answering Justice Bhattacharyya’s questions on why the TMC chief has not appeared for questioning.

As footage of Mr. Biswas holding the soccer legend Messi by his waist got here to fore in the courtroom, the Justice additionally requested, “Is Mr. Biswas Messi’s childhood buddy? How did he do that? We felt ashamed due to the Messi incident fiasco.”

The courtroom additionally requested why the chaos unfolded in Kolkata in the presence of the Sports activities Minister, when the identical occasion was easily organised in three different cities throughout India.