Kolkata: Former sports minister Aroop Biswas has been summoned by Bidhannagar police to report at Bidhannagar south police station on Thursday and meet the investigating officer probing the case of cheating, criminal conspiracy, criminal intimidation and extortion in connection with the Lionel Messi GOAT India Tour controversy at Salt Lake Stadium last year.The development comes a day after Biswas applied for anticipatory bail before a Barasat court. The court had set a July 22 date for the hearing.“We have asked Biswas to come to the police station and meet the investigating officer seeking his cooperation in the investigation. We have asked him to come to the PS any time between morning and afternoon on June 4,” said an officer of Bidhannagar City Police.An FIR against Biswas and others were registered on Saturday night after a preliminary probe into a plaint by event organiser Satadru Dutta on May 17. Dutta alleged that Biswas demanded a large number of complimentary tickets and accreditation cards and threatened to stall the event if the demands were not met. He claimed that around 22,000 complimentary tickets were forcibly taken and later sold in the black market.Dutta also alleged that Biswas misused his influence to facilitate the entry of unauthorised persons onto the pitch, leading to the harassment of football star Messi. According to him, the incident prompted Messi to leave the venue early, disappointing thousands of spectators and triggering unrest at the stadium.Several fans were arrested in the aftermath and so was Dutta, who spent 38 days in jail. Dutta was arrested on the basis of a suo motu complaint by Bidhannagar police who had booked him for alleged mismanagement of the high-profile event in Salt Lake stadium that had led to large-scale disorder, fan unrest, and questions over organisational responsibility.TOI tried to reach Biswas but he didn’t respond to calls or text messages.Sources said though Dutta had lodged the complaint on May 17 at Bidhannagar South PS, it was only turned into an FIR on May 30 after Dutta met senior officials of the state govt.
