Refund effort: Satadru face to face with ticket platform VP
Times of India | 25 December 2025
Kolkata: The Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the mayhem that broke out at Salt Lake Stadium during football star Lionel Messi's visit on Dec 13, on Wednesday brought the main event organiser, Satadru Dutta, face to face with a vice-president of the online ticketing platform that sold passes for the show.
Investigators sought clarity on the stalled refund process that left thousands of fans angry and out of pocket.
During the closed-door questioning, Dutta maintained he could initiate refunds only after receiving the proceeds from ticket sales and that the money was yet to be released to him by the ticketing agency. But the VP of the ticketing platform firmly denied the claim, telling police that a large sum was already paid, according to the contract. The conflicting versions sharpened the SIT's focus on the money trail around the event, which descended into chaos after fans were denied even a glimpse of Messi, sparking vandalism.
SIT also issued notices to senior officials of six corporate sponsors, asking them to appear before investigators within the weekend. The sponsors are being questioned to determine the total funds mobilised by Dutta and to assess how sponsorship money was utilised. "We have to establish the complete financial picture — ticket revenue, sponsorship amounts and expenses — before any accountability can be fixed," a senior police officer said.
Police have also seized Dutta's three mobiles for digital evidence. Officers said they were retrieving data from the mobiles that could shed light on his communications with sponsors, vendors and the ticketing platform.
Last week, the SIT questioned three senior officials of the online ticketing agency, seeking details of ticket sales, revenue collected and buyer information. According to an officer, access to verified purchaser data is critical to ensure refunds reach genuine buyers. Cops demanded buyers' phone numbers and email IDs to verify claims and process refunds.
Police said the next course of action would depend on officers obtaining a verified purchasers' list and establishing the exact amount of money collected.