WB Govt hits DGP, CP with show-cause over Messi event mismanagement
WB Govt hits DGP, CP with show-cause over Messi event mismanagement
West Bengal issues show-cause notices to top police officials over mismanagement of Lionel Messi's Salt Lake Stadium event, suspends a deputy commissioner and initiates a formal inquiry.
In a sweeping administrative move, the West Bengal government on Tuesday issued show-cause notices to DGP Rajeev Kumar and Bidhannagar Police Commissioner Mukesh Kumar over lapses at Lionel Messi's GOAT Tour event at Salt Lake Stadium last week. Officials were given 24 hours to reply as part of an ongoing probe into what authorities described as mismanagement during the program.
As part of the same action, the government suspended Bidhannagar Deputy Commissioner of Police Aneesh Sarkar and launched departmental proceedings against him for allegedly negligent duty on the event day. Principal Secretary of Youth Affairs and Sports Rajesh Kumar Sinha was show-caused, and Deb Kumar Nandan, Salt Lake Stadium's chief executive officer, had his services withdrawn with immediate effect.
The measures follow a three-member probe panel led by retired Justice Ashim Kumar Roy. The panel has formed a Special Investigation Team of four senior IPS officers — Piyush Pandey, Javed Shamim, Supratim Sarkar and Muralidhar — to conduct a thorough inquiry into the chaos, crowd-management failures, security shortfalls and the disorder that forced the show to end earlier than scheduled. Officials say the incident caused stadium damage pegged at nearly ₹2 crore.
Officials described the actions as part of accountability for how the event was managed and signaled that further consequences could follow depending on the inquiry's findings. The Messi tour, which drew thousands to the Salt Lake Stadium, was derailed by disorder and vandalism, prompting the city and state to reassess security protocols for major events.
With a 24-hour deadline for replies, the government aims to establish responsibility and shore up public confidence ahead of future high-profile visits. The inquiry is expected to scrutinize coordination among agencies, crowd-control measures and the overall readiness of the security apparatus.
