Goa nightclub fire: “I am only a partner,” says co-owner Ajay Gupta of the

Goa nightclub fire: One of the co-owners of Birch by Romeo Lane, Ajay Gupta, was taken to the Crime Branch of Delhi Police on Wednesday in relation to the tragic fire at the North Goa nightclub that killed 25 people.

With his face mostly hidden behind a mask, Gupta spoke briefly to reporters as he entered the office and maintained that he was “just a partner” in the establishment.

Sources claim that Gupta was questioned by Goa Police in Delhi and that they have started the legal process of taking him into jail, which includes requesting a transit remand. According to investigators, Gupta has not been seen since the Goa fire on December 6. Officers failed to find him during their first search in Delhi, so they issued a Look Out Circular (LOC).

In the end, he was discovered in a private hospital in Lajpat Nagar, where he had apparently checked himself in for conditions relating to his spine. After receiving medical clearance, he was taken into custody and turned over to the Crime Branch for further processing.

Gupta is anticipated to be officially detained when Goa Police finish the necessary paperwork for transit remand, according to officials.

Five nightclub employees were previously detained in relation to the tragedy: Bharat Kohli, gate manager Riyanshu Thakur, bar manager Rajiv Singhania, general manager Vivek Singh, and chief general manager Rajiv Modak.

Shortly after the tragedy, brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, two more important club owners, departed India. Since then, authorities have obtained an Interpol Blue Corner Notice to track them down.