Messi’s Keralam Visit Row Deepens as Police Raid Reporter TV Office
Claims had emerged that approximately ₹250 crore was being raised to bring Messi to Kerala. Following this claim by the then Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman, the financial transactions related to the event are now under scrutiny.
Thiruvananthapuram: The proposed visit of Lionel Messi and Argentina’s World Cup-winning football team to Keralam has now turned into a major investigation involving alleged financial irregularities, sponsor selection, government approvals, stadium use and purported agreements with the Argentine Football Association (AFA).
The Keralam government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to examine the matter. On Wednesday, September 16, the police raided five locations, including the office of Reporter Broadcasting Company (RBC) and premises linked to people associated with the company.
The raids came a day after Kalamassery Police registered an FIR against RBC, its authorised signatory Anto Augustin and others on allegations of cheating and criminal conspiracy.
How Did the Plan Begin?
The plan to bring Messi and the Argentina team to Keralam was publicly announced in 2023. Then Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman said in July that the Argentina team would visit the state and that Messi would also be part of the programme.
The proposed event generated considerable excitement among football fans in Keralam. The government was presented with a plan involving a private sponsor, and RBC later emerged as the main sponsor of the project.
However, a subsequent investigation by the Sports Department raised questions over the sponsor-selection process and the documents associated with it.
According to the investigation report, a company named Gold and Global had initially approached the government. The report said the company was newly registered at the time and had a capital base of only around Rs 1 lakh. It was later found to be associated with the same address where the RBC office was located.
Where Did the Rs 250 Crore Figure Come From?
The figure of Rs 250 crore has been one of the most discussed aspects of the controversy.
In April 2026, former Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman alleged that around Rs 250 crore had been arranged through sponsors to bring the Argentina team to Keralam.
Abdurahiman claimed that significant efforts had been made to raise the money for the team’s visit, but the Argentina team ultimately did not come to the state. He also spoke about the possibility of legal action and compensation.
However, the Rs 250 crore figure relates to the claim made by the former minister and does not necessarily mean that the entire amount was paid to the Argentine Football Association.
Alleged Rs 126 Crore Foreign Payment
The Sports Department’s investigation has brought another major financial issue into focus.
According to the investigation, the event sponsor had claimed that around $15 million, or approximately Rs 126 crore at the time, had been paid to the Argentine Football Association.
However, an investigation report that emerged in August 2026 said the available documents did not provide sufficient evidence that the AFA or the Argentina team had actually received the amount.
The report also said there was no clear record available with the government of a formal agreement between the Keralam government and the AFA.
This has become a key part of the ongoing investigation. Authorities are examining whether money was actually transferred abroad, through which banking channel, to which entity and against what service or contractual arrangement.
What Happened to the Rs 206 Crore?
The Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) investigation has further intensified scrutiny of the financial transactions linked to the proposed event.
In August 2026, the ED began examining alleged foreign transactions involving RBC under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
According to sources associated with the investigation, around Rs 206 crore was deposited into an RBC-linked account by two separate external companies. Of this, around Rs 126 crore was allegedly transferred abroad, while the source and utilisation of the remaining approximately Rs 80 crore are also being examined.
The ED is looking into whether the Rs 206 crore transactions were connected to loans, service agreements or any other legitimate financial arrangement. It is also examining the alleged foreign payment and whether there was a corresponding service, contract or benefit.
GST Investigation Adds Another Layer
Tax-related questions have also emerged in the case.
According to a report that surfaced in August 2026, a GST investigation referred to alleged tax evasion amounting to Rs 25.78 crore. The Finance Department’s SIT reportedly recommended further investigation by relevant agencies.
Another report mentioned action by the GST Department concerning a service-tax liability of around Rs 22.68 crore involving the sponsor.
These figures relate to different investigations and allegations and should not be treated as the same liability or as parts of a single transaction.
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What is the SIT Investigating?
The Keralam government constituted the SIT in early September to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the controversy. The team is headed by ADGP P. Vijayan.
The SIT has been tasked with examining the entire process surrounding the proposed event, including the selection of private companies and intermediaries, the sponsor-selection process, the role of government officials, financial transactions, foreign payments, government approvals, concessions and the use of government property.
The team is also examining whether any private entity received undue benefits and whether the government or any public institution suffered financial losses.
Agreements and communications involving the AFA, Football Australia and other organisations are also reportedly part of the investigation.
Why Is Kochi Stadium Part of the Investigation?
The Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kaloor, Kochi, was expected to play a central role in the proposed match.
The SIT is examining the process through which the stadium was made available to a private entity and how permission was granted for repair and other work there.
According to the investigation report, steps were taken in September 2025 to hand over the stadium to RBC. Questions have also been raised over an exemption involving a security deposit of around Rs 5 crore.
The stadium is government-owned and is under the control of the Greater Cochin Development Authority.
Questions Over the Spain Visit
Former Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman travelled to Spain with officials in September 2024. The stated purpose of the visit was to invite the Argentina team to Keralam.
However, the Sports Department’s investigation reportedly raised questions over some documents related to the trip. The report said there were no clear records establishing that the AFA had formally invited the minister or his delegation.
The investigation is also examining whom the delegation met during the visit and what resulted from those discussions.
Why Did Argentina’s Keralam Visit Not Happen?
For a long period, football fans in Keralam expected the Argentina team to visit the state. However, the proposed Keralam match was eventually not included in the team’s programme.
Preparations linked to the stadium and the proposed event continued while uncertainty remained over the team’s schedule. Ultimately, the planned visit by Messi and the Argentina team did not materialise.
The issue gained further attention when Messi visited India in December 2025 and participated in programmes in Kolkata and Hyderabad. This raised renewed questions among Keralam fans about why the state was left out despite the prolonged announcements surrounding the proposed visit.
FIR Filed, Followed by SIT Raids
The latest phase of the investigation began in September 2026.
On Tuesday, September 15, Kalamassery Police registered an FIR naming RBC, Anto Augustin and others as accused. The FIR cites Sections 318(2), 318(4) and 61 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Police have alleged that purportedly incorrect provisions were included in an agreement connected with the AFA and that there was an attempt to mislead the government machinery and the public.
A day later, the SIT conducted searches at five locations, including the RBC office and residences linked to people associated with the company. Premises in Kochi and Wayanad were also reportedly searched.
RBC has objected to the raids and said that the company and its representatives would cooperate with the investigation. The media organisation has also alleged that employees’ phones were seized.
Police have said the searches were conducted as part of the legal process and that the action was recorded.
The proposed Messi event, once presented as a major international football occasion for Keralam, is now at the centre of a wider investigation into financial transactions, foreign payments, government decisions, sponsor selection and the role of private entities. While Messi and Argentina never made the proposed visit, authorities are continuing to examine the financial and administrative trail behind the event.