Goa Police achieved a significant breakthrough Tuesday by detaining Ajay Gupta, one of the four principal owners of the doomed Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora, where a ferocious fire erupted shortly after midnight on Saturday, engulfing the rooftop venue in flames and smoke that ultimately claimed twenty-five innocent lives while injuring scores of panicked revellers who found emergency exits blocked or nonexistent.

Gupta was located and taken into custody in New Delhi after authorities had already issued a Look Out Circular against him and co-owner Surinder Kumar Khosla when repeated raids on their declared residences yielded no trace; sources indicate he will be formally placed under arrest within hours and flown under heavy escort to Panaji for intensive questioning on charges of culpable homicide and criminal conspiracy.

The remaining co-owners, brothers Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, have vanished entirely from their known addresses in Delhi and Mumbai, prompting Goa Police to escalate the manhunt by issuing Interpol Blue Corner notices seeking their immediate location and detention, as forensic evidence increasingly points to deliberate installation of highly combustible synthetic roofing and interior materials in clear violation of fire-safety regulations.

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Five senior employees of the nightclub — chief general manager Rajiv Modak, general manager Vivek Singh, bar manager Rajiv Singhania, gate manager Riyanshu Thakur, and staff member Bharat Kohli — remain in judicial custody after their arrests on charges including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, destruction of evidence, and conspiracy, with investigators alleging they delayed alerting fire services by crucial minutes while attempting to evacuate VIP guests through private routes.

The rapidly expanding criminal probe has exposed a web of forged occupancy certificates, expired fire licences, and alleged bribery of local officials, transforming the tragic weekend blaze into one of India’s deadliest nightlife disasters in decades and igniting nationwide demands for sweeping reforms and accountability from venue owners who prioritised profit over human lives.

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