Governor & top state officials inspect Salt Lake Stadium after chaos during Messi event

Senior officials of the West Bengal government on Sunday morning carried out a spot inspection of the Salt Lake Stadium following the chaos that broke out during an event linked to international football star Lionel Messi's visit to Kolkata.

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

Chief Secretary Manoj Pant reached the Yuba Bharati Krirangan early in the day, accompanied by Home Secretary Nandini Chakraborty, to assess the situation on the ground. The inspection comes a day after large-scale disorder erupted at the stadium on Saturday, leaving several sections damaged and triggering widespread criticism. Thousands of spectators, many of whom had purchased high-priced tickets, alleged that they were unable to see Messi, despite the event being projected as a public programme. The situation spiralled out of control after Messi left the stadium, following which angry spectators resorted to vandalism inside the venue.

In response to the incident, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday ordered the formation of a high-level inquiry committee to ascertain the causes behind the breakdown in crowd management and security. The committee is headed by retired judge Asim Kumar Ray and includes the Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary, and senior officials from the Home and Hill Affairs departments.