'Sleeping Partner' Hid At Friend's Hospital After Goa Nightclub Fire

Even as the spotlight remains on Saurav and Gaurav Luthra as a probe into the Goa nightclub fire continues, police have found that their "sleeping partner" Ajay Gupta was the most active among partners managing the Romeo Lane clubs.

While the Luthra brothers are awaiting deportation from Thailand, Gupta was traced three days after the December 6 Birch by Romeo Lane fire at a Delhi hospital. On the night that the fire in the club killed 25 people, Gupta was in Goa and hurriedly travelled hours later to Delhi from the Dabolim airport.

Gupta was found at Lajpat Nagar-based IBS hospital, allegedly owned by one of his closest friends. When Goa Police interrogated doctors, they said it would take at least a week to discharge Gupta, but later gave them full information.

An investigation by NDTV has turned claims that Gupta was a sleeping partner on their head, revealing that Birch by Romeo Lane was Gupta's brainchild and he primarily managed its business and not the other co-owners.

A well-connected individual, Gupta also helped the nightclub evade action and operate despite getting notices from the police and crime branch on three occasions. A former IPS officer had made a phone call and got the cases against the Birch by Romeo Lane disposed of, as per the investigation.

Gupta was arrested on Wednesday and sent to nine days' police custody.

The Luthra brothers, meanwhile, have been moved from Phuket to Bangkok and will be deported to India to face legal action.