KOLKATA: A day after West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose was denied entry into Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday afternoon following vandalism, he visited the stadium complex on Sunday while the inquiry committee, chaired by Justice Asim Kumar Roy, retired judge of the Calcutta High Court, was inspecting the site.
“I came here again to see the condition of the stadium. Lionel Messi is an international icon and vandalism occurred during his presence. It’s the failure of the government and police that led to this mess. I will thoroughly verify their role,” the Governor told reporters.
“I have also met the inquiry committee members at the spot, and they are probing the incident. Saturday’s chaos is a shame for Kolkata. There may be several reasons behind it that have not yet been properly clarified. I will speak to the aggrieved fans and then submit my report,” Bose added.
“There should be a standard operating procedure (SOP) for such events,” he said, adding, “It is a dark day for football lovers in Kolkata, and sheer mismanagement triggered the chaos.”
Bose has already written to the state government expressing deep concern over the incident.
On Saturday, Bose was denied entry into Salt Lake Stadium after chaos and crowd trouble marred an event featuring football legend Lionel Messi.
Describing the denial of entry, Bose said, “I never write a report without seeing the spot. My report is half-ready. I want to see for myself what happened at Ground Zero.”
“Is this the way West Bengal treats its governor? The governor is not a rubber stamp,” Bose told reporters on Saturday evening, calling the episode a “ghastly irrelevance of a constitutional authority.”
Bose also assured that he would revisit the stadium on Sunday to examine the issue in depth.
Chaos erupted at Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday after spectators resorted to vandalism when they failed to catch a glimpse of Messi, alleging gross mismanagement by the organisers and obstruction of view by VIPs.
He directed the state government to arrest the event organiser, holding them responsible for the chaos, and also blamed the police for failing the government, the people, and the chief minister.
According to a Lok Bhavan official, the governor was particularly disturbed to learn that the Chief Minister, who was scheduled to meet Messi, had to turn back midway due to the disorder.
Bose demanded an immediate inquiry, refunds for ticket-holders, compensation for damage to the stadium and public property, suspension of police officers who failed to take preventive measures, and the creation of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for large events.
Members of the inquiry committee formed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to investigate the chaos during Messi’s appearance reached the stadium on Sunday for an on-ground inspection. The panel, headed by Justice Roy, will conduct the probe. Chief Secretary Manoj Pant and Home Secretary Nandini Chakravorty are also members of the inquiry team.
In the aftermath of the incident, police arrested the main organiser, sports promoter Shatadru Dutta, on charges of mismanagement and public disorder, and an FIR was lodged.
On Saturday (December 13, 2025), Mamata Banerjee apologised to Messi and football fans, describing the incident as deeply disturbing, and announced the formation of the inquiry committee to ensure accountability.