May 5, 2026

Image: IANS KOLKATA: Football legend Lionel Messi’s India Tour event organiser and the prime accused in the Salt Lake Stadium chaos, Satadru Dutta, has claimed “influential people” pressured him to triple the number of access cards for the event. This, he claimed, led to Messi feeling “unhappy about being touched or hugged” by random people.Dutta, arrested within hours of the chaos, also told Kolkata police SIT that Messi was paid Rs 89 crore for the India tour, while Rs 11 crore was paid as tax to govt. “Dutta claimed that Rs 100 crore was spent on the Messi tour, with some funds coming from sponsors and the rest from ticket sales. However, the total amount attributed to ticket sales and sponsors accounts for only 60-70% of the total cost, prompting investigators to doubt his claims,” a police officer said.Police have seized Rs 22 crore from Dutta’s bank accounts and frozen them. SIT carried out a raid at Dutta’s residence in Rishra on Friday.Investigators suspect black money may have been used in organising Messi’s show. However, it is not yet clear whether the seized amount includes proceeds from ticket sales or funds received from sponsors. Police also said Dutta had not made any specific statements regarding financial irregularities linked to the event.Police said Dutta blamed “everyone” around Messi on Dec 13 for the chaos.So far, Bengal police have registered two cases in connection with the incident. Several non-bailable charges have also been filed against Dutta.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosHindu Lynching Sparks Outrage: Shashi Tharoor Warns On Mob Rule, Priyanka Blasts Modi Govt SilenceEx-PM Imran Khan And Bushra Bibi Jailed For 17 Years In Toshakhana Gift Jewellery Case’There Is Only One Modi’: Jaishankar Says Leaders Define Nations, Not Ministers Or IndividualsMore Complicated Than Ever: Jaishankar Flags US, China, Russia, Europe As India Faces Harder ChoicesPM Modi Says BJP Correcting Congress Mistakes As Assam Gets New Airport And Northeast PushKabul Chooses India For Medicines As Afghan Minister Admits Pakistan Ties Have Deteriorated BadlySonia Gandhi Criticises PM Modi Over VB-G RAM G Bill And MGNREGA Rollback’Maha Jungle Raj in Bengal, Mamata Shielding Infiltrators’: PM Modi Blasts TMC in Virtual RallyPiyush Goyal Says Congress Policies Suppressed Enterprise And Capped India’s Growth For Decades’Global Order Has Changed Forever, No Single Nation Can Dominate All Issues’: Says EAM Jaishankar123PhotostoriesTea Time Snack: How to make zero-sugar Banana Chocolate Oatmeal CookiesBharti Singh turned emotional as her water bag broke before delivery; shared, “Mujhe Bahot Darr Lag Raha Hai”8 Foods that can help manage blood sugar levels in Diabetes10 best destinations near Delhi/NCR to plan your last-minute New Year getawayFrom Sunil Grover to Rupali Ganguly: This is what your favorite TV actors did before getting limelightBlurred vision or eye strain? These signs mean you need an eye check-up12 food combinations that can slow down parents’ agingWinter Snack: How to make Dhokla in a pressure cooker8 Stoic life lessons from “Meditations” by Marcus AureliusNot just cold or cough: Doctor shares common triggers that can cause a sore throat123Hot PicksTom BradyEpstein files releasedTim SaunderGold rate todaySilver rate todayPublic Holidays DecemberBank Holidays DecemberTop TrendingJosh Allen Luxury Car CollectionRandi MahomesAuston MatthewsWho is Nicole LundersJeremy Doku and Shireen Doku Net WorthMatthew StaffordWalker Buehlers WifeSibley ScolesAssam Rajdani Express TragedyUS Strikes

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Image: IANS KOLKATA: Football legend Lionel Messi’s India Tour event organiser and the prime accused in the Salt Lake Stadium chaos, Satadru Dutta, has claimed “influential people” pressured him to triple the number of access cards for the event. This, he claimed, led to Messi feeling “unhappy about being touched or hugged” by random people.Dutta, arrested within hours of the chaos, also told Kolkata police SIT that Messi was paid Rs 89 crore for the India tour, while Rs 11 crore was paid as tax to govt. “Dutta claimed that Rs 100 crore was spent on the Messi tour, with some funds coming from sponsors and the rest from ticket sales. However, the total amount attributed to ticket sales and sponsors accounts for only 60-70% of the total cost, prompting investigators to doubt his claims,” a police officer said.Police have seized Rs 22 crore from Dutta’s bank accounts and frozen them. SIT carried out a raid at Dutta’s residence in Rishra on Friday.Investigators suspect black money may have been used in organising Messi’s show. However, it is not yet clear whether the seized amount includes proceeds from ticket sales or funds received from sponsors. Police also said Dutta had not made any specific statements regarding financial irregularities linked to the event.Police said Dutta blamed “everyone” around Messi on Dec 13 for the chaos.So far, Bengal police have registered two cases in connection with the incident. Several non-bailable charges have also been filed against Dutta.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosHindu Lynching Sparks Outrage: Shashi Tharoor Warns On Mob Rule, Priyanka Blasts Modi Govt SilenceEx-PM Imran Khan And Bushra Bibi Jailed For 17 Years In Toshakhana Gift Jewellery Case’There Is Only One Modi’: Jaishankar Says Leaders Define Nations, Not Ministers Or IndividualsMore Complicated Than Ever: Jaishankar Flags US, China, Russia, Europe As India Faces Harder ChoicesPM Modi Says BJP Correcting Congress Mistakes As Assam Gets New Airport And Northeast PushKabul Chooses India For Medicines As Afghan Minister Admits Pakistan Ties Have Deteriorated BadlySonia Gandhi Criticises PM Modi Over VB-G RAM G Bill And MGNREGA Rollback’Maha Jungle Raj in Bengal, Mamata Shielding Infiltrators’: PM Modi Blasts TMC in Virtual RallyPiyush Goyal Says Congress Policies Suppressed Enterprise And Capped India’s Growth For Decades’Global Order Has Changed Forever, No Single Nation Can Dominate All Issues’: Says EAM Jaishankar123PhotostoriesTea Time Snack: How to make zero-sugar Banana Chocolate Oatmeal CookiesBharti Singh turned emotional as her water bag broke before delivery; shared, “Mujhe Bahot Darr Lag Raha Hai”8 Foods that can help manage blood sugar levels in Diabetes10 best destinations near Delhi/NCR to plan your last-minute New Year getawayFrom Sunil Grover to Rupali Ganguly: This is what your favorite TV actors did before getting limelightBlurred vision or eye strain? These signs mean you need an eye check-up12 food combinations that can slow down parents’ agingWinter Snack: How to make Dhokla in a pressure cooker8 Stoic life lessons from “Meditations” by Marcus AureliusNot just cold or cough: Doctor shares common triggers that can cause a sore throat123Hot PicksTom BradyEpstein files releasedTim SaunderGold rate todaySilver rate todayPublic Holidays DecemberBank Holidays DecemberTop TrendingJosh Allen Luxury Car CollectionRandi MahomesAuston MatthewsWho is Nicole LundersJeremy Doku and Shireen Doku Net WorthMatthew StaffordWalker Buehlers WifeSibley ScolesAssam Rajdani Express TragedyUS Strikes


Messi got Rs 89cr from India tour, govt Rs 11cr as tax, says organiser

KOLKATA: Football legend Lionel Messi’s India Tour event organiser and the prime accused in the Salt Lake Stadium chaos, Satadru Dutta, has claimed “influential people” pressured him to triple the number of access cards for the event. This, he claimed, led to Messi feeling “unhappy about being touched or hugged” by random people.Dutta, arrested within hours of the chaos, also told Kolkata police SIT that Messi was paid Rs 89 crore for the India tour, while Rs 11 crore was paid as tax to govt. “Dutta claimed that Rs 100 crore was spent on the Messi tour, with some funds coming from sponsors and the rest from ticket sales. However, the total amount attributed to ticket sales and sponsors accounts for only 60-70% of the total cost, prompting investigators to doubt his claims,” a police officer said.Police have seized Rs 22 crore from Dutta’s bank accounts and frozen them. SIT carried out a raid at Dutta’s residence in Rishra on Friday.Investigators suspect black money may have been used in organising Messi’s show. However, it is not yet clear whether the seized amount includes proceeds from ticket sales or funds received from sponsors. Police also said Dutta had not made any specific statements regarding financial irregularities linked to the event.Police said Dutta blamed “everyone” around Messi on Dec 13 for the chaos.So far, Bengal police have registered two cases in connection with the incident. Several non-bailable charges have also been filed against Dutta.



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Supreme Court (File Image) NEW DELHI: Castigating Orissa high court and judiciary for imposing “clean police station bail conditions” on tribal and Dalit villagers arrested in cases of violent protest against Vedanta’s bauxite mining in Rayagada and Kalahandi, Supreme Court Monday quashed these conditions, terming them “abhorrent, cruel, degrading and unknown to law”.The HC, while granting bail to Laxman Naik, had said, “He shall clean the premises of Kashipur police station in the morning hour (between 6 am to 9 am) for two months from the date of his actual release…”. The police station’s in-charge will “provide cleaning articles like broom, phenyl and other items to the petitioner so that he can clean the said premises”, it said.Taking suo motu cognizance of news reports about Odisha courts imposing the “clean police station every day between 6 am and 9 am bail conditions” while releasing the arrested tribals and Dalits, a bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said such orders negate the apex court’s 75-year-long efforts to zealously guard life, liberty, dignity and equality of every citizen.The bench said, “We are deeply disappointed and express our strongest disapproval of the manner in which the Odisha state judiciary has in fact regressed its mindset by imposing such onerous, degrading and humiliating conditions which are ex-facie violative of human rights.”Such conditions far from advancing the cause of justice strike at the dignity of the accused and proceed on the premise of their guilt, which is totally impermissible in law, it said. “We accordingly declare as null and void all such conditions or similar conditions imposed by the state judiciary while granting bail,” the bench said and directed all Odisha courts to forthwith delete such bail conditions.The bench said that assuming such conditions were imposed inadvertently and without any pre-meditated bias, “the nature of the bail condition is so abhorrent, cruel, degrading and unknown to law that it carries the potential to cast a serious aspersion suggesting that Odisha judiciary is afflicted with caste-based bias. 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Supreme Court (File Image) NEW DELHI: Castigating Orissa high court and judiciary for imposing “clean police station bail conditions” on tribal and Dalit villagers arrested in cases of violent protest against Vedanta’s bauxite mining in Rayagada and Kalahandi, Supreme Court Monday quashed these conditions, terming them “abhorrent, cruel, degrading and unknown to law”.The HC, while granting bail to Laxman Naik, had said, “He shall clean the premises of Kashipur police station in the morning hour (between 6 am to 9 am) for two months from the date of his actual release…”. 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