A Delhi court on Wednesday granted the Goa Police a 36-hour transit remand for Ajay Gupta, one of the four co-owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, where a devastating fire on December 6 claimed 25 lives.
Gupta had been detained in Delhi for questioning regarding the incident, and was produced before Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Vinod Joshi, who approved the police request for transit remand.
The court acknowledged the ongoing air travel disruptions caused by widespread IndiGo flight cancellations while allowing the transfer period.
The judge also instructed authorities to ensure that Gupta receives appropriate medical attention during custody, noting his spinal injury and other health-related issues.
Goa Police had previously issued a Look Out Circular (LOC) for Gupta after a search at his Delhi residence proved unsuccessful. A senior officer confirmed that Gupta was later located and detained in the capital, and that he will be formally arrested once he is brought to Goa.
Two of the nightclub’s main owners, Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, are suspected to have escaped to Phuket, Thailand, shortly after the tragic incident. Authorities have secured an Interpol Blue Corner Notice to help trace them. Another co-owner, British national Surinder Kumar Khosla, is also under an LOC.
Meanwhile, police have arrested five individuals connected to the nightclub’s operations: chief general manager Rajiv Modak, general manager Vivek Singh, bar manager Rajiv Singhania, gate manager Riyanshu Thakur and staff member Bharat Kohli.
The fire, which broke out around midnight on December 6 at the Arpora-based nightclub in North Goa, resulted in the deaths of 25 people and triggered a large-scale investigation into safety and management lapses.
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