Fans rip up seats, throw chairs and bottles at Messi event in India

Lionel Messi's tour of India kicked off chaotically on Saturday as fans threw objects, ripped up seats and invaded the pitch at Kolkata's Salt Lake stadium after the Argentine soccer great made only a brief appearance at a ticketed event.

Satadru Dutta, the event's chief organiser, has been detained by police, said Rajeev Kumar, director general of West Bengal police.

Messi was scheduled for a 45-minute visit to the stadium, but his appearance lasted just 20 minutes. 

Tickets for the event were priced from around 3,500 rupees ($38.65) - more than half of average weekly income in India - but one fan said he had paid $130.

Fans in the Salt Lake stadium in the capital of the Eastern state of West Bengal threw ripped-up seats and other objects onto the field, while several people climbed a fence around the field and hurled objects.

"I can't believe there was so much mismanagement," said Eddie Lal Hmangaihzuala, who had travelled nearly 1,500 km from Mizoram over two days to attend the event.

"Messi left quickly, I think he felt unsafe. I hardly got a glimpse of him," he told Reuters.

The organisers of the tour did not immediately respond to a request for a comment.

"We've already detained the main organiser," Rajeev Kumar told reporters. "We're taking action so that this mismanagement does not go unpunished.

"He has already pledged in writing that tickets sold for the event should be refunded," he added.