Police register trespass case at Kochi stadium amid political controversy over Messi’s team visit

The Palarivattom police have registered a case over alleged trespass on the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium at Kaloor, Kochi, Kerala, which is at the centre of a political controversy fuelled by uncertainties about the visit of Lionel Messi-led Argentina football team’s visit to the city.

The case was registered on Wednesday (October 29, 2025) based on a complaint filed by the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) alleging a group of people entered the stadium without permission from it and ignoring objections from security personnel.

The complaint was filed after a delegation led by District Congress Committee president Muhammed Shiyas entered the stadium on Tuesday evening (October 28). The first information report (FIR) registered by the police, however, has not named any individual. The case has been registered against “unknown persons”.

According to the FIR, the accused allegedly entered the stadium forcefully without the permission of GCDA authorities and after manhandling security guards there. The accused have been charged under Section 131 (assault or criminal force without grave provocation), 329 (criminal trespass) and 189 (unlawful assembly) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The GCDA’s complaint alleged that the trespassers accessed the ground where turf renovation work was nearing completion to facilitate an international football match that was under way. It said that entry onto the turf could damage the work already completed, resulting in significant financial loss.

Dismissing the complaint, Mr. Shiyas questioned why public representatives were being denied access while a private company owner was granted unrestricted entry. He pointed out that although the private sponsor of the now-cancelled international friendly match between Argentina and Australia had claimed an investment of ₹70 crore for stadium renovation, the actual work appeared to be worth “no more than ₹70 lakh.”

Mr. Shiyas also accused GCDA of allotting the stadium for renovation without a formal agreement and of concealing an IIT Madras report on the structural stability of the venue.