Satadru approaches HC's division bench against Aroop's protection in Messi case

The high-profile legal battle surrounding football legend Lionel Messi's proposed India tour has intensified after sports promoter Satadru Dutta officially moved the Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court. Represented by his legal team, Dutta filed an appeal before the Division Bench headed by the Chief Justice on Tuesday, challenging the temporary protection from arrest previously granted to former West Bengal Sports Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) heavyweight Aroop Biswas. The High Court is highly likely to commence formal hearings on this fresh petition next week, bringing the complex multi-crore sports promotion scandal back into the judicial spotlight.

The legal friction stems from a series of non-compliance events involving the former state minister. Although a single-judge bench of the High Court had strictly reprimanded Biswas for his involvement in the Messi tour arrangement, it ultimately extended transitional protection, explicitly directing law enforcement agencies not to take drastic measures like an immediate arrest. In return, the court imposed strict conditional riders, ordering the TMC leader to immediately surrender his passport to a lower court and prohibiting him from leaving the borders of West Bengal without explicit judicial clearance.

Despite obtaining this legal cushion, Biswas allegedly continues to show non-cooperation toward the ongoing police investigation. The former sports minister reportedly skipped a mandatory police interrogation appearance yesterday, on June 15, marking a recurring pattern of avoiding law enforcement summonses. This continued evasion prompted Satadru Dutta to aggressively escalate the matter, fulfilling his prior stance of approaching higher judicial forums, including a stated readiness to knock on the doors of the Supreme Court of India if the Division Bench does not revoke the interim relief.