Kolkata: After skipping three summonses and being trolled for failing to appear before investigators probing alleged irregularities in Lionel Messi’s GOAT India Tour, former sports minister Aroop Biswas made his first public appearance in nearly six weeks when he turned up at Bidhannagar South police station around 10 am on Thursday.He was interrogated for three-and-half hours and asked to report again on Monday.Though his visit to the police station was incident-free, Biswas was subject to taunts and threats of being pelted with eggs after he reached his lawyer Gopal Halder’s chamber in Alipore. Before that, he drove around the city for about two hours to shake off journalists following him.As news of his presence spread, a group of lawyers gathered outside Halder’s chamber carrying eggs. Biswas stayed cooped up for close to three hours, lights turned off, with the protesters banging on the door. Another group of lawyers tried to persuade the protesters to back off. The standoff eventually led to a scuffle between the two groups, prompting police to intervene. Cops finally escorted Biswas out at 6.15 pm with eggs flying at him from all directions.Earlier in the day, the former minister faced a series of cop questions on how he managed to get so close to Messi despite stringent security protocol and why he had repeatedly touched the icon while posing for photographs, sources said.The issues were reportedly raised in an email sent to Bidhannagar police commissioner by Messi’s chief adviser and consultant for last year’s GOAT India Tour.The communication allegedly flagged security protocol violations, including claims that Biswas placed his hands on Messi’s shoulder and waist while posing for photographs, and suggested that the incidents contributed to the footballer’s early departure.Investigators also questioned Biswas about the distribution of VIP tickets for the event. Satadru Dutta, organiser and complainant in the case, has alleged that Biswas used his influence to take control of 22,000 tickets. Officers sought details on the preparation of the VIP guest list, identities of those who were allowed into the VIP enclosure, whether prescribed procedures had been followed and who authorised entry onto the ground.“I will return to face the investigators. I won’t comment on the case as the matter is sub judice. I have faith in judiciary and I believe truth will prevail,” Biswas told reporters while leaving the police station.
