The Goa police on Tuesday evening detained Ajay Gupta, one of the four owners of the upscale ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ nightclub in Arpora, North Goa, where a catastrophic fire claimed the lives of 25 people in the early hours of Sunday.
A Look Out Circular (LOC) had previously been issued against Gupta as well as another co-owner, Surinder Kumar Khosla, after investigators were unable to locate them. “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 confirmed to reporters.
“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,” the spokesperson added. He further stated that Gupta was subsequently traced to the national capital, where he was taken into custody.
The official informed us that Gupta will soon be formally placed under arrest once the necessary transit formalities are completed to bring him to Goa for further legal proceedings.
Also Read: Goa Nightclub Tragedy: Pyroguns, narrow lanes reason for fire
Meanwhile, the two remaining owners of the nightclub, Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, continue to evade authorities. A Blue Corner notice has been issued against the duo to locate and interrogate them in connection with the incident.
To date, five individuals have already been arrested in the case: the nightclub’s chief general manager Rajiv Modak, general manager Vivek Singh, bar manager Rajiv Singhania, gate manager Riyanshu Thakur, and employee, Bharat Kohli.
The tragic fire broke out around midnight on Saturday at ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ in Arpora, North Goa, rapidly engulfing the premises and resulting in the deaths of twenty-five persons. Investigations into the exact cause of the blaze and possible violations of safety norms are ongoing.
Also Read: Goa Nightclub fire: Owners fled to Phuket hours after club fire
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