Kolkata Messi event vandalism: Three more arrested, organiser’s house searched

Kolkata, Dec 19: Three more persons were arrested by Kolkata Police on Friday for allegedly being involved in the vandalism at Salt Lake Stadium following utter mismanagement at an event involving Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi last week.

With this, the total number of arrests in connection with the vandalism rises to 8.

This is in addition to the arrest of the principal organiser of the event, Shatadru Dutta, who was taken into custody on the same day as the incident on December 13.

The three arrested persons will be presented at a lower court later in the day. The public prosecutor will seek their police custody.

In a related development, officials of the Kolkata police's special investigation team reached the residence of Dutta at Rishra in Hooghly district. The police team talked to the domestic help present at the residence and thoroughly searched the premises.

However, there had been no report of any seizures. The team of investigators refused to speak to the media persons before leaving. "The process is under investigation now, and hence we have nothing to say at this moment," the investigating officer said.

However, sources aware of the development said that the involvement of massive financial irregularity, especially related to the exorbitant price of tickets for the event, could not be ruled out.

If that is the case, sources added, there is a possibility of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) taking over the investigation in the matter, considering that the central agency has the authority to start a suo motu probe in any case of financial irregularities, especially money laundering under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

On Thursday, the state's Principal Secretary, Sports, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, the Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar, and Bidhannagar Police Commissioner Mukesh Kumar submitted their responses to the state government regarding the show-cause notices issued over the mismanagement and vandalism at the stadium last week.

--IANS