“I Was Only a Sleeping Partner” Detained Co-Owner of Goa Nightclub Tells NDTV

 Ajay Gupta, co-owner of the Goa nightclub Birch by Romeo Lane, where a devastating fire claimed 25 lives, was detained on Tuesday shortly after admitting himself to Delhi’s Institute of Brain and Spine in Lajpat Nagar. According to officials, he arrived at the hospital in an Innova with a Haryana registration number.

“I was only a sleeping partner,” says detained co-owner Ajay Gupta after the Goa nightclub inferno that killed 25. As police hunt for the absconding Luthra brothers, major safety lapses and explosive new details emerge.

When confronted by NDTV during his detention, Gupta said, “I’m only a sleeping partner with the Luthras, nothing else.” GST documents accessed by NDTV confirm his partnership with the Luthra brothers, Saurabh and Gaurav.

Gupta had been untraceable earlier, prompting Goa Police to issue a lookout notice. He will be produced before the Saket Court, where authorities are seeking a transit remand to move him to Goa for further questioning.

The Luthra brothers, also co-owners of the nightclub, fled to Phuket, Thailand, early Sunday morning — just hours after the tragedy. A Blue Corner Notice has been issued against them as Delhi and Goa police conduct joint raids on their suspected hideouts.

The fire broke out during a musical night, with videos showing flames erupting from the ceiling moments after fireworks were used during a performance. A case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, negligence, and endangering life has been filed. Four staff members, including the club manager, have already been arrested. Multiple government officials involved in issuing permits to the nightclub have been summoned to investigate potential compliance lapses.