'Sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi': Mamata orders probe over mismanagement at Kolkata event

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stated that she was 'deeply disturbed' by the "mismanagement" at the Lionel Messi event in Kolkata and announced the constitution of a high-level committee to probe the incident on Saturday.

Banerjee said she was on the way to the Salt Lake stadium to attend the event, along with thousands of fans, who had gathered to catch a glimpse of the football icon.

"I sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi, as well as to all sports lovers and his fans, for the unfortunate incident," she said in a post on X.

"I am constituting an enquiry committee under the chairmanship of Justice (Retd.) Ashim Kumar Ray, with the Chief Secretary and the Additional Chief Secretary, Home and Hill Affairs Department, as members," she added.

Banerjee said the committee will conduct a detailed enquiry into the incident, fix responsibility, and recommend measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.

"Once again, I extend my heartfelt apologies to all sports lovers," she said.

Messi's brief visit to the city descended into chaos as angry fans broke security protocols after failing to catch even a glimpse of the world’s most popular footballer during his blink-and-miss 22-minute appearance at the Salt Lake stadium in the morning.

(with PTI inputs)