3 min readKolkataJun 8, 2026 05:15 PM IST
First published on: Jun 8, 2026 at 05:15 PM IST
The Calcutta High Court on Monday rejected former West Bengal sports minister Aroop Biswas’s plea for an urgent hearing on protection from arrest in a case related to the fiasco associated with football great Lionel Messi’s Kolkata visit last year.
Senior advocate Kishore Datta, representing Aroop Biswas, submitted, “There is extreme urgency in the matter. This event took place six months ago.”
As Datta stated that Aroop Biswas was apprehending arrest, the court observed, “Move an anticipatory bail. Please file in regular course. It will come in the presentation form. These matters cannot be taken up urgently. We will be flooded with matters. All matters cannot be taken up like this.”
Datta also asked that no coercive steps be taken against Biswas, but the court said, “Move it as per law, as far as personal liberty is concerned, move anticipatory bail, there is another forum…cannot be moved on urgent basis.”
According to sources, if Biswas does not appear before the police on Monday for questioning, the police will take stringent steps. They may also search Biswas’s New Alipore residence.
The Bidhannagar (south) police summoned Biswas to appear before them on Monday morning after he skipped the summons for Friday. The New Alipore police pasted two notices at the former minister’s residence on Sunday.
Earlier, Biswas had requested two weeks’ time from the police, citing ill health. One notice mentioned that Biswas provided no medical documents while seeking the extension.
The case file was reopened immediately after the BJP took office in the state. The complainant in the case is Satadru Dutta, who organised Messi’s event at the Salt Lake Stadium last year.
Dutta, who was arrested in the wake of the Messi event fiasco, pointed fingers at the former minister after he was released on bail.
Dutta filed a police complaint against Biswas and his sister-in-law Jui Biswas. He also filed a complaint against then DGP Rajeev Kumar.
In December 2025, chaos broke out at the Salt Lake Stadium event as leaders, ministers, VVIPs, and their family members tried to get up close and take photos with Messi.
According to the complaint, Biswas had allegedly threatened and extorted passes from Dutta. Due to the mismanagement allegedly caused by politicians and ministers, Messi and his team left the field after spending just 15 to 20 minutes.
Spectators who had bought tickets worth thousands of rupees complained they could not even catch a proper glimpse of Messi, triggering widespread outrage. Disgruntled fans threw bottles from the galleries, and many entered the pitch and resorted to vandalism.
No relief for former fire minister Sujit Basu
Former fire minister Sujit Basu approached the Calcutta High Court challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the municipal recruitment corruption case. He sought an expedited hearing of his plea.
However, Justice Krishna Rao dismissed the plea and said there was no need for an expedited hearing as Basu had already been arrested. He said Bose can apply for bail in the trial court.
ED arrested Sujit Basu on May 11 after a marathon interrogation. He was initially remanded in 10-day ED custody, and a special court ordered him to be kept in jail custody till June 18.
Lionel Messi with then West Bengal sports minister Aroop Biswas at the Salt Lake Stadium in December 2025. 
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