Messi event chaos: Investigation committee formed by Bengal CM finds gross mismanagement and lack of supervision
Kolkata, Dec 16 : The committee, formed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, to probe the gross mismanagement during Lionel Messi's recent event at Salt Lake Stadium, on Tuesday, said that it has identified the lack of proper supervision as a reason for the chaos.
The revelation from the investigation committee, headed by Justice Asim Kumar Roy (retd), came after its members inspected several areas of the field and the galleries at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan stadium for the last two days.
On Tuesday morning, Justice Roy held a press conference to update on the progress of the investigation. He said that they have inquired about who was in charge on the day of Messi's visit. Additionally, the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been suggested for the Yuva Bharati incident.
He said that a lack of proper supervision has been identified in the entire incident.
"The question arises, how did food and water bottles get into the field? As far as I know, water bottles are not allowed inside the field. Yet, numerous broken chairs, broken gates, and water and soft drinks bottles were found lying on the field. We have learned from questioning those in charge that stalls were set up inside the stadium. However, everything is still under investigation. We initially believe that those who were in charge that day should have overseen this. Therefore, we have asked the government to take departmental action against them," he said.
The investigation committee, headed by the retired judge, submitted its preliminary report on the Yuva Bharati incident on Monday night.
According to the committee members, the police and the Sports Department were responsible for overseeing Messi's visit to Kolkata, and cannot evade responsibility.
The investigation committee formed by the Chief Minister has requested a detailed report on the matter from the officials concerned within 24 hours. It seeks information on who from the police or the Sports Department was in charge on the day of the incident and what plans were made in advance regarding the visit.
Thirdly, the retired judge said that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been recommended to investigate the entire incident. The composition of the SIT will be officially decided by the government. However, it has been suggested that senior police officers be included in this special investigation team.
According to sources, since the incident occurred in Bidhannagar and the Bidhannagar police are investigating the matter, the formation of an SIT is being considered to ensure that there are no questions raised about the impartiality or transparency of the investigation.
The retired judge further said that during the inspection of the stadium, they checked whether the chairs could be easily thrown and whether the screws were loose. They will also investigate how food and water bottles entered the stadium despite the restrictions.
"A thorough investigation is needed to find out all this. That is the job of the police. Besides, we always see police officers in the galleries, and they intervene whenever there is any trouble. It is unclear why this did not happen that day. We cannot blame anyone without concrete evidence. We are examining everything. Everything will be known once the report is submitted," he added.