Birch co-owner Ajay Gupta was in Goa when fire killed 25, fled to Delhi later

Investigations into the devastating nightclub fire in Goa that killed 25 people have widened, with authorities tracking the movements of key stakeholders and intensifying efforts to bring the accused to justice. They have now found out that Ajay Gupta, the third partner of Birch owners Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, was present at a different location in Goa as the tragedy unfolded at the nightclub situated in Baga area.

The blaze broke out around midnight on December 6 at the Birch by Romeo Lane club in Arpora village in North Goa's Baga, claiming the lives of tourists and staff and exposing serious lapses in safety compliance.

Ajay Gupta, one of the club’s partners, was present in Goa at the time of the incident but was at a different location when the fire erupted.

He left the state the following morning, flying to Delhi, as the police probe gathered pace.

Gupta was later detained in the national capital and has since been remanded to seven days’ custody for questioning.

Speaking to India Today TV, he claimed to be a sleeping partner and said he was unaware of safety shortcomings at the establishment.

"I was a mere sleeping partner and had no role. Was unaware of the lapses at the nightclub," Gupta said. Sources told India Today that Gupta got himself admitted to a private hospital in Lajpat Nagar, claiming a spinal condition. He was taken into custody by the Delhi Police after he was discharged from the hospital on December 9.

The authorities are yet to disclose more details about his movement following the December 6 tragedy.

Attention has also focused on the club’s co-owners, brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, who left India within hours of the tragedy.

The duo booked tickets to Thailand shortly after news of the fire broke and boarded an early morning IndiGo flight from Delhi to Phuket on December 7, even as emergency responders were still working at the site.

Their swift departure prompted authorities to issue a Look-Out Circular and seek international assistance.

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