Satadru Dutta, the main organiser and promoter of Lionel Messi’s GOAT India Tour, was arrested on Saturday after chaos erupted during the football legend’s Kolkata visit, which was cut short amid fan unrest and vandalism at the Salt Lake Stadium.

Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Jawed Shamim confirmed that an FIR had been filed and Dutta, described as the chief organiser of the event, was taken into custody following the disorder. Authorities said organisers have promised to refund ticket money to spectators.

Dutta was the key figure behind bringing Messi to India, with the tour promoted as part of a “Satadru Dutta Initiative.” He had earlier said Messi’s visit after 14 years would boost football’s popularity in India and attract unprecedented sponsorship interest.

The Kolkata leg of the tour descended into chaos shortly after Messi arrived at the stadium. Surrounded by politicians, officials, VIPs and security personnel, the Argentine star remained largely out of sight for the paying public. Unhappy fans later vented their anger, leading to damage inside the venue.

During the incident, Dutta was heard repeatedly appealing over the public address system for the crowd and dignitaries to clear the area, but the situation failed to improve and Messi was eventually escorted out within minutes.

Satadru Dutta is known in Indian football circles for his role in organising visits by global icons Pele and Diego Maradona in the past. He has also publicly expressed interest in bringing Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo to India in the future.

Police said investigations are ongoing into the mismanagement and security lapses surrounding the event, while crowd control forces were deployed at the stadium to restore order after the incident.