Police arrest 3 more people for vandalism at Salt Lake stadium during Messi event, total count rise to 5

Police have arrested three more individuals in connection with the vandalism and violence at Yuva Bharati Stadium in Salt Lake, intensifying the ongoing investigation into the incident. The arrests were made by South Bidhannagar police, taking the total number of accused held so far to five.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Basudev Das, Sanjay Das, and Abhijit Das. According to police officials, CCTV footage from the stadium and viral videos on social media were examined to identify those involved in the violence. Two of the accused were arrested from the Nagerbazar area, while another was picked up from Dum Dum. An FIR has been registered under eight sections of the Indian Penal Code, including charges related to assault on public servants, causing grievous injuries, damaging public property, and disturbing public peace.

The violence erupted on Saturday during football star Lionel Messi’s brief visit to the stadium. Messi, along with Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul, left the venue after around 20 minutes, following which angry spectators allegedly began tearing down hoardings, throwing bottles onto the field, and breaking chairs in the gallery before breaching the fencing and entering the ground.

Earlier, the main organiser of Messi’s Kolkata tour, Shatadru Dutt, was arrested at Dum Dum Airport and remanded to police custody for 14 days. Police said the investigation is ongoing and more arrests are likely as authorities continue to analyse footage and identify additional suspects.