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

The Kolkata High Court on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, granted interim protection to former Sports Minister and senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA from Tollygunge Aroop Biswas from any coercive action in the Lionel Messi incident case.

The case against Mr. Biswas was filed by the organizer Satadru Datta, alleging extortion, cheating and misuse of political influence. The event, held at the Salt Lake stadium in December 2025, resulted in massive chaos and vandalism, causing major embarrassment to the ruling government on the international stage.

This is the first relief granted to any senior TMC leader by the Supreme Court since the crackdown began on them after massive election losses. Many senior leaders were jailed last month.

Mr. Biswas had approached the court seeking protection against any coercive action after an FIR was lodged against him.

However, Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya questioned Mr. Biswas as to why he did not appear for questioning despite two separate notices being sent by the Bidhannagar police. The court also asked the former Tollygunge MLA to produce his passport and not to leave the station without the court’s permission.

The court also directed that Mr. Biswas be produced before the police for questioning after giving him at least 48 hours’ notice. Judge Bhattacharyya also added that everyone was embarrassed by the chaos that ensued at the Messi event.

When chaos ensued at the event last year, the Sports Minister was immediately suspended by the then Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the organiser, Mr Datta, was arrested. But Mr Datta later charged that he was declared the “fall man” because Mr Biswas was responsible for the massive chaos at the event that saw Messi leave the venue minutes after arriving.

During the hearing on Wednesday, Mr Datta’s lawyer said he was forced by Mr Biswas to give 22,000 free tickets, other accreditation cards and close-distance tickets.

“When you give us protection, we will go there tomorrow or the next day, whenever they want,” Mr. Biswas’s council said while replying to Justice Bhattacharyya’s questions on why the TMC leader was not interrogated.

When the photos of Mr. Biswas holding the football legend Messi by the waist came to the fore in the courtroom, the judge also said, “Is Mr. Biswas Messi’s childhood friend? How did he do this? We are ashamed of the Messi incident fiasco.”

The court also asked why chaos broke out in Kolkata in the presence of the Sports Minister when the same event was being held in three other cities in India without any problems.