Investigators probing the catastrophic Goa nightclub fire that killed 25 people have expanded their focus, uncovering new details about the movements and roles of the establishment’s partners. While co-owners Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra fled India within hours of the December 6 blaze, authorities have confirmed that their associate, Ajay Gupta, was also in Goa at the time of the incident, though at a different location. The fire, which broke out shortly after midnight at Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora, exposed grave safety violations and sparked a multi-agency investigation.
Ajay Gupta left Goa the following morning and flew to Delhi even as the probe intensified. He was detained in the national capital and subsequently remanded to seven days’ custody for interrogation. Speaking to the media, Gupta insisted he was merely a “sleeping partner” with no operational role and claimed he was unaware of the nightclub’s safety lapses. Sources indicated that Gupta checked himself into a private hospital in Lajpat Nagar, citing spinal issues, before being taken into custody upon discharge on December 9.
Authorities are still piecing together Gupta’s movements following the incident, while scrutiny remains firmly on the Luthra brothers, who fled to Thailand on an early morning flight just hours after news of the fire surfaced. Their sudden departure led to the issuance of a Look-Out Circular and requests for international cooperation. Both were detained in Phuket and are expected to be brought back to India for questioning.
Ajay Gupta, meanwhile, has his own background under the scanner. He was a close associate of Amit Gupta, a well-known Delhi builder murdered in Burari two years ago, allegedly by the Gogi gang. It was Amit who introduced Ajay to the Luthra brothers. Investigators say the Goa property where the fire occurred was originally rented by Ajay for a cafe, before being taken over by the Luthras for their nightclub venture. Ajay retained a 10% partnership stake in the establishment, a detail now central to the unfolding inquiry into accountability and negligence.
