Kolkata, 13 Dec

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday expressed shock over the “mismanagement” at an event involving football icon Lionel Messi in Kolkata and announced a high-level probe into the incident.

Banerjee said she was on her way to the Salt Lake Stadium to attend the programme, where thousands of fans had gathered to catch a glimpse of the Argentine star, when the situation spiralled out of control.

"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.

The chief minister announced the formation of an enquiry committee headed by retired Justice Ashim Kumar Ray. "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 said.

According to Banerjee, the committee will conduct a detailed enquiry, fix responsibility for the lapses and suggest measures to ensure such incidents do not recur. "Once again, I extend my heartfelt apologies to all sports lovers," she said.

Messi’s brief visit to the city witnessed chaos after disappointed fans breached security arrangements when they failed to get even a glimpse of the football superstar, who made a fleeting 22-minute appearance at the stadium.