kolkata

IIE DIGITAL DESK ; Kolkata, June 8: West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas faced a setback in the Calcutta High Court on Monday in connection with the controversy surrounding the Lionel Messi event case. Seeking legal protection from police action, Biswas approached the High Court with a plea for urgent intervention. The court declined to grant immediate relief, leaving the senior Trinamool Congress leader under increasing pressure.

Petition was filed before the court challenging the police notice issued to Aroop Biswas. He had also requested an urgent hearing of the matter. The court, however, rejected the plea for an expedited hearing and made it clear that the case would be heard in due course according to the normal judicial schedule.

Developments on the ground have gathered pace. Biswas has been summoned to appear before the Bidhannagar South Police Station on Monday. Attention is now focused on whether he will comply with the notice and appear before investigators. According to sources, officers from Bidhannagar South Police Station have already begun moving toward his residence in New Alipore. At the same time, central security forces have reportedly been deployed outside the New Alipore Police Station amid heightened security arrangements.

The summons stems from allegations made by event organizer Shatadru Dutta regarding the much-discussed Messi event. Based on his complaint, Bidhannagar South Police had previously issued a notice asking Biswas to appear before investigators. He was initially asked to attend the police station on June 4, but did not appear, citing health-related issues. Following his absence, police issued another notice directing him to appear on June 8.

The growing legal and political controversy, the former sports minister moved the Calcutta High Court challenging both the police summons and the First Information Report (FIR) on which the notice was based. In his petition, Biswas sought the cancellation of the summons and requested that the FIR itself be quashed.

The matter came before Justice Sougata Bhattacharyya, who permitted the filing of the case. However, the court did not accept the plea for an urgent hearing and declined to provide any immediate protective order. As a result, the legal challenge remains pending while the police process continues.

The developments have added a new dimension to the controversy surrounding the Messi event case. With the High Court refusing to fast-track the matter and police action continuing simultaneously, all eyes are now on whether Aroop Biswas appears before investigators and what further steps may follow in the ongoing probe.