Goa nightclub fire: Owner Ajay Gupta detained

The Goa police have detained another owner of one of the four owners of the 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub, where a fire left 25 people dead. The detainee, Ajay Gupta, had a Look Out Circular (LOC) against him issued by the Goa police. Another owner, Surinder Kumar Khosla, also has an LOC in his name.

Sixth detention in the case

"We have detained Ajay Gupta, one of the owners of the nightclub. This is the sixth person to be held in connection with the case," a Goa police spokesperson said.

Also Read: Goa nightclub fire: Luthras’ Romeo Lane shack in Vagator razed; Interpol issues notice

"Earlier, an LOC was issued against him as a police team had failed to find him at his Delhi residence when it visited it there," he said, adding that Gupta was later found in the national capital and was detained.

The official further revealed that Gupta will soon be placed under arrest after the completion of formalities to bring him to Goa.

Blue Corner Notice against two other owners

Two other owners of the nightclub, Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, are yet to be apprehended, and authorities have issued a Blue Corner Notice to assist in locating them. Police said efforts are underway to determine their movements following the incident.

Also Read: Nightclub tycoons to fugitives: Luthra brothers' success story collapses after Goa fire

So far, investigators have taken five staff members into custody. Those arrested include the club’s chief general manager, Rajiv Modak; general manager, Vivek Singh; bar manager, Rajiv Singhania; gate manager, Riyanshu Thakur; and employee, Bharat Kohli. All five are being questioned over alleged lapses in safety procedures and operational oversight.

The case stems from the devastating fire that broke out at the ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ nightclub in Arpora, North Goa, shortly before midnight on Saturday. The blaze resulted in the deaths of 25 people and left several others injured, prompting a large-scale investigation into accountability and compliance failures at the establishment.

Two owners fled to Phuket

Following the tragedy, Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, fled to Phuket. A senior Goa Police officer said investigators have contacted the Interpol Division of the CBI to help trace the two. “Goa Police have taken further steps to coordinate with the Interpol Division of the CBI to apprehend both Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra at the earliest,” the officer said.

Also Read: Goa nightclub fire: Owners fled to Phuket hours after blaze that killed 25

The fire, which occurred late Saturday about 25 km from Panaji, claimed the lives of 20 staff members and five tourists, including four from Delhi. Five others injured were receiving treatment at Goa Medical College and Hospital. After an FIR was filed, a Look Out Circular was issued on December 7. Immigration checks later confirmed the accused had boarded flight 6E 1073 to Phuket at 5.30 am, shortly after the midnight blaze.

Police teams raided their Delhi addresses but found them missing, leaving notices at the premises. Officers said this indicated an attempt to evade investigation. A transit remand has been secured for employee Bharat Kohli. Postmortems for all victims are complete, and departments involved in licensing have been called for questioning as part of the ongoing probe.

(With agency inputs)