West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas Resigns After Messi Event Controversy, Mamata Banerjee Takes Charge

West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas resigned on Tuesday following controversy over the alleged mismanagement of football legend Lionel Messi's programme at Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan in Salt Lake on December 13, 2025.

Biswas submitted his resignation to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who accepted it and assumed charge of the Sports Department.

The incident triggered swift administrative action from the state government, with multiple officials facing scrutiny after a preliminary enquiry flagged serious lapses in coordination and event management.

Preliminary Enquiry Leads to Action Against Senior Police Officers

Based on the preliminary enquiry report dated December 15, 2025, Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar was served a show-cause notice. He was asked to respond within 24 hours regarding alleged mismanagement and lack of coordination with key stakeholders, including the private organiser of the event.

The Bidhannagar Police Commissioner, Mukesh Kumar, was also issued a show-cause notice and directed to explain within 24 hours the role played by his commissionerate in handling the high-profile programme.

IPS Officer Suspended, Sports Department Official Served Notice

Departmental proceedings were initiated against Aneesh Sarkar, an IPS officer serving as Deputy Commissioner of Police. He has been suspended for alleged negligence of duty, pending completion of the enquiry.

The Principal Secretary of the Youth Affairs and Sports Department, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, was also asked to submit a clarification. A show-cause notice was issued to him seeking an explanation for the lapses and overall mismanagement during the event.

VYBK CEO Removed, SIT Formed to Probe Incident

Further action was taken against Deb Kumar Nandan, WBCS (Executive) (Retd.), who was serving as the CEO of Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan. His services were withdrawn with immediate effect due to his alleged role in the mismanagement.

The state government has also constituted a Special Investigation Team to conduct a detailed probe into the incident. The SIT comprises IPS officers Piyush Pandey, Javed Shamim, Supratim Sarkar and Muralidhar, who will examine all aspects related to planning, security and execution of the event.