Kerala Messi deal: Vijayan's hands-off claim faces fresh questions

In Kerala, a state in India, a special deal involving football was made, and people call it the Messi deal.

A TV company called Reporter Broadcasting Corporation had to pay money to the Argentine Football Association as part of the deal.

The company paid late, so the football association wanted extra money as a penalty.

Officials from Kerala's old government wrote a letter asking the Indian ambassador in Argentina to help the TV company avoid the penalty.

The letter warned that if Argentina withdrew, Kerala would face money troubles and lose its good name.

The old Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, says he did not know much about the deal.

But official records show his government helped the company, so people are asking new questions.

Kerala's current Chief Minister, V.D. Satheesan, says the government is checking the deal and found possible mistakes with taxes.

Police are now investigating who knew about the deal and who worked to protect it.

The former sports minister's role and a stadium handover are also being looked into.