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Goa nightclub fire: Surinder Khosla, who fled to UK, being protected by 'some big guys’, claims landowner
Amonkar alleged that Khosla, who is a British national, had been allowed to flee to the United Kingdom after the devastating fire incident on December 6.
The original owner of the land on which the Goa nightclub – where a fire claimed 25 lives – stood, has spoken up on one of the key accused in the case, claiming that he was allowed to escape.
The landowner of the club ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ in north Goa, Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar, told PTI news agency that one of the accused in the case, Surinder Kumar Khosla, was being protected by “some big guys.”
Amonkar alleged that Khosla, who is a British national, had been allowed to flee to the United Kingdom after the devastating fire incident on December 6, PTI reported.
The Goa Police have arrested eight persons, including club owners Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, and their business partner Ajay Gupta in connection with the case. They have named Khosla as one of the accused in the same First Information Report. According to a senior official, cops are still looking for Khosla, PTI reported.
Meanwhile, Amonkar has been engaged in a legal battle against Khosla, in order to get the land back from him. Amonkar said that Khosla was a prime accused, adding that the demolition order by the village panchayat against the club was in the latter's name. He further said that all complaints filed against the club also included Khosla's name.
However, he claimed that despite these, Khosla had managed to flee the country because “some big guys are protected him.” He further alleged that the Arpora-Nagoa panchayat had permitted the construction of the nightclub despite being informed that the land on which it was being built did not belong to those who had sought the permission, according to the PTI report.
Amonkar claimed that Khosla was “very much in Goa” when the fire incident took place, adding that he was supposed to attend a court hearing there.
What is the land dispute between Amonkar and Khosla?
Amonkar had filed a civil suit against Khosla before the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court, which was later converted into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) to fix accountability for the blaze.
Amonkar said his association with Khosla had started when the former rented out 24 out of 107 apartments built on the land adjacent to the club to Khosla in 2004.
Amonkar further said that six months after he entered into an agreement to sell his land to Khosla, he withdrew his consent because of no payment. However, Amonkar claimed that Khosla had not restored the possession of the land to him and had also allowed for a nightclub to be constructed on the land, PTI reported.
Khosla, a British property owner, had signed a lease in 2023 with Being GS Hospitality Goa Arpora LLP, the firm under which the nightclub was being operated.
