Goa nightclub co-owner ‘faked’ spine issues, nabbed from Delhi hospital: ‘I’m only a partner'
Ajay Gupta said he is "only a partner" of the two owners as he was brought to Delhi's Anti-Extortion and Kidnapping Cell of the Crime Branch earlier today.
Amid the intensifying probe into the Goa nightclub fire, police late Tuesday detained Ajay Gupta, co-owner of the Birch by Romeo Lane, from a hospital in Delhi's Lajpat Nagar.
Gupta was on the run, evading investigators ever since the December 6 blaze in North Goa nightclub, that killed 25 people, including five tourists, news agency PTI reported.
Ajay Gupta was constantly on the move after the probe intensified in the fire incident, according to NDTV.
He was located at a private hospital in the Lajpat Nagar area of the capital where he had admitted himself citing spine-related medical issues, the news agency quoted sources as saying. However, the sleuths narrowed down his movement and detained him from the hospital.
Also Read: Goa police detain Ajay Gupta after Look Out Circular over nightclub fire which killed 25
"A Look Out Circular (LOC) had been issued against him after Goa Police failed to find him in Delhi during their first search. He was later located at a private hospital in Lajpat Nagar, where he had reportedly admitted himself citing spine-related medical issues. After the medical clearance, he was detained and brought to the Crime Branch office for further procedures," the source told the news agency.
The owners of the nightclub, brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, fled to Thailand shortly after the incident. Ajay Gupta said he is "only a partner" of the two owners as he was brought to Delhi's Anti-Extortion and Kidnapping Cell of the Crime Branch earlier today.
Why is Ajay Gupta taken into custody?
Gupta was taken to LNJP Hospital for medical tests, from where he would be taken to Saket court for the transit remand. The court granted the Goa Police a 36-hour transit remand of Gupta.
Following the remand, Gupta is expected to face questioning in Goa about the club's management, operational responsibilities and fire-safety compliance, the report added.
The police is also on a lookout for Surinder Kumar Khosla regarding the case. The Goa Police has so far arrested five staff members of the nightclub, including chief general manager Rajiv Modak, general manager Vivek Singh, bar manager Rajiv Singhania, gate manager Riyanshu Thakur and employee Bharat Kohli.
A late-night fire at the nightclub claimed the lives of 25 people and left six people injured. After the fire, the owners of the club, the Luthra brothers, prominent Delhi businessmen, boarded a flight from New Delhi to Phuket, Thailand, by 5:30 am on Sunday.
An Interpol Blue Corner Notice has also been issued against the owners.
The fire at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora started around midnight at the North Goa nightclub, which was packed with visitors on a busy weekend, leading to one of the worst tragedies to have hit the state.
