Kolkata: West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas resigned from his post on Tuesday following large-scale chaos during football star Lionel Messi’s GOAT India Tour event in Kolkata. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accepted his resignation earlier in the day.

The resignation came after West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose demanded Biswas’s removal and called for action against all officials who bore “vicarious liability” for the untoward incident at Salt Lake Stadium.

SIT Formed, Top Officials Face Action
The state government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising IPS officers Piyush Pandey, Javed Shamim, Supratim Sarkar and Muralidhar to conduct a comprehensive probe into the incident.

Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar has been served a notice seeking clarification within 24 hours on alleged mismanagement, lapses in security, and lack of coordination with stakeholders, including the private event organiser.

Similarly, Bidhannagar Police Commissioner Mukesh Kumar has been issued a show-cause notice, asking him to explain the role of the commissionerate in managing the event.

Departmental Proceedings and Administrative Action
Departmental action has been initiated against IPS officer Aneesh Sarkar, Deputy Commissioner of Police, for alleged negligence of duty during the event. The services of Deb Kumar Nandan, CEO of Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan (VYBK), have also been withdrawn with immediate effect for his role in the mismanagement.

Organiser in Custody, Fans Protest
Earlier, Satadru Dutta, promoter and organiser of Messi’s GOAT India Tour 2025, was sent to 14 days of police custody. The Kolkata leg of the tour turned chaotic on Saturday after Messi left the venue early, triggering outrage among fans who had paid high ticket prices.

Angry spectators allegedly threw bottles, attempted to break gates between stands, and vandalised parts of the stadium, accusing organisers of poor planning and alleging that VIPs and politicians monopolised the football icon’s time.

Messi Concludes India Visit
After completing his India tour, Lionel Messi visited the Vantara animal sanctuary and departed from Jamnagar, marking the end of his visit after stops in Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, and Kolkata.