The Goa Police on Tuesday detained Ajay Gupta, who is believed to be a partner of the Luthra brothers – the owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub where a deadly fire killed 25 people.
Police had already issued a Look Out Circular (LOC) for Gupta and another man, Surinder Kumar Khosla, earlier in the day. A senior officer said that both had come under scrutiny soon after the nightclub’s owners, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, escaped to Thailand following the tragedy.
Who is Ajay Gupta?
Ajay Gupta is a Delhi-based businessman and one of the four co-owners of GS Hospitality Arpora LLP, the company that runs the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora, North Goa. The nightclub is part of the popular Romeo Lane brand from Delhi and functions as a bar, restaurant and party spot.
Gupta came under public attention after a major fire broke out at the nightclub on December 6, killing 25 people – most of them staff – and injuring more than 50 others. The fire started around 11:45 PM during a busy weekend event. Investigators believe it was caused by indoor fireworks that were mishandled in an area that did not have proper fire safety systems, enough emergency exits or valid permissions.
‘Only a partner’: Gupta said while entering the Crime Branch
Gupta said he is “only a partner” as he was brought to the Anti-Extortion and Kidnapping Cell of Delhi Police’s Crime Branch on Wednesday. He made the brief comment while entering the Crime Branch office in Sunlight Colony, according to a report by PTI.
Sources told the news agency that Goa Police questioned him and have begun the formal process to arrest him and seek a transit remand. They added that Gupta had been avoiding investigators ever since the December 6 fire in Arpora, north Goa.
Gupta likely to present at court today
Gupta is expected to be presented in court later today as part of the ongoing investigation, as per news agency ANI.
Meanwhile, Khosla is a British citizen, Deputy Inspector General Varsha Sharma said during a press conference at the Anjuna police station. She confirmed that LOCs had been issued against both Gupta and Khosla.
How many arrests have been made so far?
So far, police have arrested five people connected to the nightclub – chief general manager Rajiv Modak, general manager Vivek Singh, bar manager Rajiv Singhania, gate manager Riyanshu Thakur and Bharat Kohli.
The Luthra brothers fled the country just five hours after the fire broke out at their nightclub in Arpora. The first fire alert was received by police at 12:04 am on Sunday. By 5:30 am, the brothers had boarded an IndiGo flight from New Delhi to Phuket, Thailand.
According to Goa Police, they flew on IndiGo flight 6E 1073 on December 7, which landed in Phuket after 11 am.
When police visited the Luthras’ home in Delhi on Monday, they confirmed the owners had already fled. A look-out notice through the Bureau of Immigration had been issued for the brothers on Sunday evening.