Messi’s chartered plane, personal bond and an arrest: How organiser Satadru Dutta was stopped from fleeing Kolkata airport
Published on: Dec. 14, 2025, 7:34 a.m. | Source: Times of India
Hours after the Lionel Messi show at Salt Lake Stadium spiralled into chaos, Kolkata Police on Saturday arrested event organiser Satadru Dutta, stopping him from leaving the city amid mounting anger over the aborted programme and allegations of mismanagement. Police action unfolded at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, where Dutta had accompanied Messi and his Inter Miami teammates ahead of the next leg of the GOAT India Tour 2025. Senior officers intervened after receiving instructions that the organiser should not be allowed to fly out of Kolkata. Dutta reached the airport around 12.25pm, completed security formalities and boarded the aircraft at 12.40pm. Minutes later, director general of police Rajeev Kumar arrived and directed that Dutta be restrained from leaving the city, officials said.
