“We begged, pleaded fans not to destroy sound boxes but they were very angry”: Vendors count losses after Messi event chaos

On one side of the ground, untouched mountains of cold drinks and water bottles lay discarded, a stark indication that hardly anything had been sold.

As one walked up the ramps to the spectator boxes, the scene was chaotic – mountains of half-eaten popcorn and food littered the floor, with food packets priced at Rs 300 and Rs 250 scattered everywhere, tables overturned.

Vendors, meanwhile, recount the mayhem.

Biswajit Haldar of Southern Electrical and Sounds, who supplied sound equipment, estimates “damages worth Rs 35-40 lakh”. According to him, around 48 sound boxes had been supplied by them out of which 10 could be saved. From speakers to amplifiers, power cable, lineage speakers, digital processors, mikes, cordless mikes all have been destroyed, he said.

Speaking to The Indian Express Haldar said, “We were given the contract by an individual who had got the contract from Satadru Dutta’s company. We have worked all over India and it was the first time we experienced such an incident, that also in our home town.”

“Despite being on the ground, when we could not see Messi, how will those on the stands see him Messi,” he said.

Prasenjit Saha, one of Haldar’s employees said, “We begged fans not to destroy the sound boxes, but they were very angry. They started jumping on the sound boxes, threw concrete slabs bricks , they picked up amplifiers and banged them on the ground.”

“We approached the police to at least help us to save some of the equipment but all fell to deaf ears. No one was listening. In front of our eyes we saw angry fans pour water into the sound boxes, but we cannot blame them also, they were just furious with what had happened. At one point there were close to 2,000-3,000 fans on the ground after Messi left, I have never witnessed such scenes in my life,” Saha added.

Riaz Memon, a vendor from Gujarat, said his firm got a Rs 30 lakh contract from Satadru Dutta’s company. “We had got around 500 packets of water bottles out of which we are taking back 350 bottles and we had got around 300 packages of cold drink out of which close to 200 we are taking back,” he said.

“One litre water bottles that we sell for Rs 100, were resold inside for Rs 250.”

According to Riaz, they were selling water and cold drink bottles to other vendors who were then selling it inside the stadium.

Most drinks and food remained unsold, with mountains of bottles discarded.

As the Bidhannagar Commissionerate arrested chief organiser Satadru Dutta, with a court granting 14-day police custody, vendors worry about compensation for their losses. “It’s our bread and butter,” they say, wondering what’s next.