Co-owner of Goa nightclub where 25 people died in a fire arrested in another forgery case

Visuals of Goa nightclub fire that killed 25 people

Goa Police have arrested Ajay Gupta, the co-owner of Birch by Romeo Lane, in another case of forgery after the Goa nightclub fire killed 25 people earlier this month.

The case against Gupta has been filed in connection with the alleged forgery of structural health documents and approvals for another establishment, India Today reported.

He has been produced before a local court in Mapusa and has been remanded to five days of police custody. Earlier, Gupta had told the police that he was only a  "sleeping partner" and was not aware of the lapses that took place at the Goa nightclub. This put all the blame on the owners Saurav and Gaurav Luthra, who were earlier arrested after being deported from Thailand to India.

Gupta has been arrested amid the ongoing investigation in the Birch fire case.

Meanwhile the Luthra brothers had booked their tickets to Thailand shortly after the fire started at the nightclub. After the Goa Police intervened and asked them to return to India immediately, they flatly refused, following which they were deported and brought back to Delhi, where they were formally arrested.

They now face a case of culpable homicide and negligence after the December 6 fire. The probe experts close to the matter have said that the nightclub was operating in violation of the mandatory fire safety norms.

The December 6 fire is said to have started during a fire show at the nightclub, prompting an Interpol Blue Corner Notice against the Luthras.