Former West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas appeared before the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate on Thursday in connection with an investigation into alleged irregularities surrounding a 2025 event featuring Argentine football icon Lionel Messi. The senior Trinamool Congress leader arrived at the commissionerate headquarters at around 9.55 am after previously skipping three summonses issued by the police.

The investigation stems from a complaint filed by event organiser Shatadru Dutta, who has accused Biswas of ticket black-marketing, extortion, cheating and criminal intimidation linked to the high-profile football event held at Salt Lake Stadium on December 13 last year. Police officials are examining the allegations as part of an ongoing probe into the conduct and management of the event.

The event attracted significant public attention but later became controversial after sections of spectators allegedly vandalised parts of the stadium. Several attendees claimed they had paid substantial amounts for tickets but were unable to properly see Messi during the programme, alleging that influential individuals crowded around the football star on the ground and restricted public access.

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Biswas has consistently denied the allegations and maintained that he had no involvement in the financial aspects of the event. Earlier, the Calcutta High Court granted him conditional protection from coercive action while directing him to cooperate fully with the investigation. On June 5, the former minister had sought additional time to appear before the police, citing health-related reasons.

Meanwhile, the controversy took another turn after the organiser of Messi's India tour claimed that the footballer's communication team had written to the police regarding the incident. According to the organiser, the communication allegedly held Biswas responsible for the fiasco and sought to clarify issues surrounding the event's management.

The reported communication also purportedly cleared Dutta of allegations of mismanagement that had earlier led to his arrest and imprisonment. However, Bidhannagar Police, which reportedly received the correspondence, has not publicly commented on the matter. The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities expected to examine all available evidence before determining further action.

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