Goa Nightclub Tragedy: Detained Co-Owner Ajay Gupta Says He’s “Only a Partner”

Ajay Gupta, one of the four principal Co-owners of Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora, North Goa—the nightclub where 25 people perished in a horrific fire on December 6—was dramatically detained by Goa Police from a private hospital in South Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar on Wednesday afternoon. Escorted under heavy security to the Crime Branch office at Sunlight Colony, the 52-year-old businessman appeared frail, repeatedly telling reporters through his mask, “I am only a partner, I have nothing to do with running the place.” Sources confirmed Goa Police are finalising paperwork for transit remand to fly him to Panaji for formal arrest and intensive custodial interrogation.

Investigators revealed that Gupta had gone completely off the radar immediately after the tragedy, triggering a Look Out Circular when teams raiding his Delhi and Gurugram residences drew a blank. Intelligence inputs finally placed him at the private medical facility, where he had checked in citing acute spinal disc complications requiring traction and pain management. After an independent medical board declared him fit for travel and questioning, a special team from Goa executed the detention without resistance. Officials indicated charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder (Section 304-II IPC), criminal conspiracy, and violations under the Goa Fire Safety Act will be pressed once he is produced before a magistrate.

The development comes as five senior staff members of the nightclub—Chief General Manager Rajiv Modak, General Manager Vivek Singhania, Bar Manager Rajiv Singhania, Gate Manager Riyanshu Thakur, and employee Bharat Kohli—continue to remain in judicial custody following their arrest last week. Forensic reports have confirmed that emergency exits were illegally locked, fire extinguishers were non-functional, and the rooftop extension where most victims were trapped lacked any statutory clearance. The death toll stands unchanged at 25, with 23 victims identified as employees who were attending a staff party when the blaze erupted.

Also Read: Goa Nightclub Tragedy: Co-Owner Ajay Gupta Detained, Manhunt Continues for Others

The two primary operators and majority stakeholders, brothers Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, continue to evade authorities after boarding an early-morning IndiGo flight to Phuket, Thailand, within hours of the incident. Goa Police have escalated the Interpol Blue Corner Notice to a Red Corner Notice request and are coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs to initiate extradition proceedings. Sources say the brothers’ anticipatory bail plea in Delhi’s Rohini court was dismissed on technical grounds Tuesday, clearing the path for non-bailable warrants.

With public anger mounting and opposition parties demanding a judicial probe into alleged collusion between nightclub owners and local fire and excise officials, the state government has suspended three senior officers of the Fire and Emergency Services department pending inquiry. As Gupta’s detention marks the first breakthrough in holding the ownership accountable, investigators are hopeful his statements will reveal the full extent of safety lapses and financial arrangements that turned a celebration into Goa’s deadliest nightlife disaster.

Also Read: Goa Nightclub Tragedy: Co-Owner Ajay Gupta Detained, Manhunt Continues for Others