Goa nightclub fire: Co-owner Ajay Gupta's police remand extended by four days

Panaji, Dec 18 A Goa court on Thursday extended by four days the police remand of Ajay Gupta, co-owner of Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, where a devastating fire on December 6 killed 25 persons.

Gupta was arrested from New Delhi on December 10. A court in Mapusa had remanded him in police custody for seven days at the time.

Gupta was presented before the lower court, which sent him to four-day police custody as his initial remand was expiring, his advocate Rohan Desai told reporters.

"Gupta had complained about back pain. The court ordered his medical examination, after which he was allowed use of a mattress in custody. He was examined by a specialised doctor at Goa Medical College and Hospital near here," the lawyer said.

Twenty-five persons, including 20 staff members and five tourists, were killed in the major blaze at the nightclub at Arpora in North Goa around midnight of December 6.

Gupta had, during the day, filed an bail application.

So far, eight persons have been arrested in connection with the case, including Gupta, and two other owners - Gaurav Luthra and his brother Saurabh - who were deported from Thailand.

Five other staffers of the nightclub arrested in the case are Rajiv Modak (Corporate General Manager), Priyanshu Thakur (Gate Manager), Rajveer Singhania (Bar Manager), Vivek Singh (General Manager) and Bharat Karan Singh Kohli (employee).

A Look Out Circular (LOC) has been issued against Surinder Kumar Khosla, another owner of the nightclub who is a British citizen, police said.

Panaji, Dec 18 Ajay Gupta, one of the four co-owners of 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub in Goa, where 25 persons were killed in a fire earlier this month, on Thursday filed a bail application in a court in Mapusa town.

Gupta was arrested in New Delhi by the Goa Police on December 10, following which a court in Mapusa remanded him in police custody for seven days.

Twenty-five persons, including 20 staff members and five tourists, were killed in the major blaze at the nightclub at Arpora in North Goa around midnight of December 6.

Gupta, who is currently in the custody of the Anjuna police, applied for bail before the District Judge in Mapusa. Senior lawyer Rohan Desai will represent him.

The court is likely to hear the bail application later in the day, and notices will be issued to the state police seeking their response.

So far, eight persons have been arrested in connection with the case, including Gupta, and two other owners - Gaurav Luthra and his brother Saurabh - who were deported from Thailand.

Five other staffers of the nightclub arrested in the case are Rajiv Modak (Corporate General Manager), Priyanshu Thakur (Gate Manager), Rajveer Singhania (Bar Manager), Vivek Singh (General Manager) and Bharat Karan Singh Kohli (employee).

A Look Out Circular (LOC) has been issued against Surinder Kumar Khosla, another owner of the nightclub who is a British citizen, police said.

Panaji, Dec 17 A court in North Goa on Wednesday remanded Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, co-owners of the ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ nightclub, in police custody for five days.

The brothers, brought to Goa from Delhi after being deported from Thailand in connection with the December 6 blaze that killed 25, were produced in the court after undergoing health check-ups twice at the District Hospital in North Goa.

Judicial Magistrate First Class Mapusa Puja Sardesai remanded the two brothers in police custody for five days.

Advocate Vishnu Joshi, representing Bhavana Joshi who lost four family members in the tragedy, said that the accused were asking for “special consideration” claiming poor health.

“We said they should not be given any extra relaxation,” he said, adding that the court has taken cognisance of the fact that this is about the death of “25 people in the form of mass genocide”.

“But since they kept pressing for medical check-up, the court ordered reexamination of their health. It is clear in the medical examination that they don’t require any consideration. The accused sought special considerations in the lock-up like a good mattress, which the court refused,” said Joshi.

A team of the Goa Police, along with the Luthra brothers, arrived at the Manohar International Airport, Mopa, in North Goa at 10.45 am.

The duo was initially taken to a Primary Health Centre at Siolim for medical examination. They were then taken to the District Hospital at Mapusa.

After their health assessment, the two were brought to the court.

The court directed that the accused be sent for fresh medical examination. Accordingly, the two were again taken to the District Hospital.

Later, they were produced before Judge Sardesai, who ordered the five-day police custody of the accused.

After the fire tragedy at Arpora village, the Anjuna police had registered a case against the Luthra brothers on various charges, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

The brothers were arrested in Delhi on Tuesday after being deported from Thailand. A court there allowed the Goa Police their two-day transit remand.

The duo had fled to Phuket in Thailand early on December 7, hours after the fire at their nightclub, prompting the authorities to issue an Interpol Blue Corner Notice and cancel their passports.

They were detained by Thai authorities at Phuket on December 11 following a request from the Indian government, which later coordinated with officials in Thailand to deport them under legal treaties between the two nations.

Five managers and staff members have already been arrested by the Goa Police in connection with the fire.

Panaji, Dec 17 A court in North Goa on Wednesday remanded Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, co-owners of the ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ nightclub, in police custody for five days.

The brothers, who were brought to Goa from Delhi earlier in the day after being deported from Thailand in connection with the December 6 fire incident that killed 25 persons, were produced in the court after undergoing health check-ups twice at the District Hospital in North Goa.

Judicial Magistrate First Class Mapusa Puja Sardesai remanded the two brothers in police custody for five days.

A team of the Goa Police, along with the Luthra brothers, arrived at the Manohar International Airport, Mopa, in North Goa at 10.45 am.

The duo was initially taken to a Primary Health Centre at Siolim for medical examination. They were later taken to the District Hospital at Mapusa.

After their health assessment, the two were produced in the court.

The court directed that the accused be sent for fresh medical examination. Accordingly, the two were again taken to the District Hospital.

Later, they were produced before Judge Sardesai, who ordered the five-day police custody of the accused.

After the fire tragedy at Arpora village, the Anjuna police had registered a case against the Luthra brothers on various charges, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

The brothers were arrested in Delhi on Tuesday after being deported from Thailand. A court there allowed the Goa Police their two-day transit remand.

The duo had fled to Phuket in Thailand early on December 7, hours after the fire at their nightclub, prompting the authorities to issue an Interpol Blue Corner Notice and cancel their passports.

They were detained by Thai authorities at Phuket on December 11 following a request from the Indian government, which later coordinated with officials in Thailand to deport them under legal treaties between the two nations.

Five managers and staff members have already been arrested by the Goa Police in connection with the fire.

Panaji, Dec 17 A court in North Goa on Wednesday ordered fresh medical examination of Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, co-owners of the ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ nightclub, after they were produced there.

The brothers, who were brought to Goa from Delhi earlier in the day after being deported from Thailand in connection with the December 6 fire incident that killed 25 persons, were produced in the court in Mapusa after undergoing health check-up at the District Hospital in North Goa.

The court directed that the accused be sent for fresh medical examination. Accordingly, the two were again taken to the District Hospital.

A team of the Goa Police, along with the Luthra brothers, arrived at the Manohar International Airport, Mopa, in North Goa at 10.45 am.

The duo was initially taken to a Primary Health Centre at Siolim for medical examination. They were later taken to the District Hospital at Mapusa.

After their health assessment, which took over an hour, the two were taken to the Anjuna police station, about 10 km from there. They were subsequently produced in the court.

After the fire tragedy at Arpora village, the Anjuna police had registered a case against the Luthra brothers on various charges, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

The Luthra brothers were arrested on Tuesday as soon as they landed in Delhi after being deported from Thailand. A court there allowed the Goa Police their two-day transit remand.

The duo had fled to Phuket in Thailand early on December 7, hours after the fire at their nightclub, prompting the authorities to issue an Interpol Blue Corner Notice and cancel their passports.

They were detained by Thai authorities at Phuket on December 11 following a request from the Indian government, which later coordinated with officials in Thailand to deport them under legal treaties between the two nations.

Five managers and staff members have already been arrested by the Goa Police in connection with the fire.

Panaji, Dec 16 Gaurav Luthra and his brother Saurabh, co-owners of the Goa nightclub where 25 people were killed in a fire on December 6, are expected to be brought to the state on Wednesday morning by the local police, which secured their transit remand from a Delhi court, a senior official said.

The Luthra brothers, co-owners of the 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub at Arpora in North Goa, were arrested on Tuesday as soon as they landed in Delhi after being deported from Thailand.

The duo had fled to Phuket (Thailand) early on December 7, hours after the fire at their nightclub, prompting the authorities to issue an Interpol Blue Corner Notice and cancel their passports.

They were detained by Thai authorities at Phuket on December 11 following a request from the Indian government, which later coordinated with officials in Thailand to deport them under legal treaties between the two nations.

The court in Delhi on Tuesday allowed the Goa police their two-day transit remand.

In a statement issued here, a Goa police spokesperson said, "After taking the custody of the deported Luthra bothers in New Delhi and on obtaining the transit remand, the Goa police are bringing both the accused to Goa."

"The police team along with the accused is expected to reach Goa by tomorrow (Wednesday) morning," he said.

Five managers and staff members have already been arrested by the Goa Police in connection with the fire.