West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has pledged to refund ticket money to 33,000 spectators who were left unable to see Lionel Messi during a chaotic fan event in Kolkata, India, last December, calling the situation something he wanted to personally set right.
Messi's GOAT India Tour stop at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on December 13 descended into disorder after officials, politicians and heavy security surrounded the football legend, blocking the view of thousands of spectators seated in the stands who had paid to attend.
The lack of access left fans deeply frustrated, with some hurling bottles and plastic chairs onto the field, damaging stadium property and attempting to breach security barriers as anger spread through the crowd.
Messi was ultimately taken out of the venue after staying for only around 20 minutes.
Messi has a huge fan base. They had purchased tickets costing 4,000 and 6,000 rupees. It's my wish to ensure that the money paid by these 33,000 sports enthusiasts is refunded.Suvendu Adhikari, West Bengal Chief Minister
Many attendees had paid between 4,000 and 6,000 Indian rupees for tickets, and had been demanding refunds ever since, arguing they never received a genuine opportunity to see the Argentine star despite the cost of entry.
Speaking at a National Sports Day event in India on Saturday, August 29, Adhikari confirmed refunds would finally be processed for those affected.
"Messi has a huge fan base. They had purchased tickets costing 4,000 and 6,000 rupees. It's my wish to ensure that the money paid by these 33,000 sports enthusiasts is refunded," he said.
"I have already initiated the process internally. I hope to be able to accomplish this," he added.
The fallout from the original chaos had already claimed several roles within the previous state administration.
Sports minister Aroop Biswas resigned in the aftermath, while Bidhannagar police deputy commissioner Anish Kumar was dismissed from his post over the handling of the event.
Event organiser Satadru Dutta was also arrested by Kolkata police at the time over allegations of mismanagement, spending 38 consecutive days in custody before being released on bail.
Following his release, Dutta pushed back against the accusations, claiming the organisers were not directly responsible for the chaos and instead pointing to the then sports minister and senior administrative officials.