Panaji: Ajay Gupta, who claimed to be a silent partner and investor in the fire-ravaged ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ nightclub, has been brought to Goa from Delhi on a transit remand for questioning.
Twenty-five persons, including 20 staff members and five tourists, were killed in the major blaze at the facility in North Goa around midnight on December 6.
Goa Police landed with Gupta at Manohar International Airport, Mopa, at 9.45 pm on Wednesday. He was taken to Anjuna police station for further investigation, an official said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Gupta, a resident of Jammu, was produced before Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Vinod Joshi in Delhi, who granted the Goa Police a 36-hour transit remand to take him to the coastal state.
The court cited the ongoing air travel crisis caused by disrupted IndiGo flights as the reason for the extended remand window, and also directed authorities to ensure proper medical care for Gupta, who suffers from a spinal injury, during his transfer.
Earlier, a Look Out Circular (LOC) had been issued against Gupta.
Five managers and staff members have already been arrested by the Goa Police in connection with the fire that broke out at the nightclub located in Arpora, 25 km from Panaji, around midnight on December 6.
Brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, who are co-owners of the nightclub, left for Phuket in Thailand shortly after the fire incident. An Interpol Blue Corner Notice has been issued against them.
They failed to get interim relief from a Delhi court on Wednesday, which fixed their pleas seeking transit anticipatory bail for hearing on Thursday.
In the court, the Luthras’ lawyer refuted allegations that they had fled, claiming the trip was for a business meeting and arguing that the brothers are only licensees, not the actual owners of the nightclub.
In his bail plea, Saurabh requested four weeks of transit anticipatory protection, arguing that returning to Goa posed an “imminent threat to his life, liberty and safety” due to angry mobs.
However, Additional Sessions Judge Vandana posted the matter for Thursday and asked the Goa Police to respond.
As per officials, the Luthra brothers booked their tickets for Phuket through a travel portal at 1.17 am on December 7, within an hour of learning about the devastating fire.
At the time when police and administration were still battling the blaze and attempting to rescue staff, the two left India in the early hours of Sunday by an IndiGo flight.
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