Goa nightclub fire: 'I am only a partner,' says co-owner Ajay Gupta
New Delhi (PTI): Ajay Gupta, one of the co-owners of Goa's 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub, said that he is "only a partner" as he was brought to Delhi's Anti Extortion and Kidnapping Cell of the Crime Branch on Wednesday in connection with the blaze that killed 25 people.
Gupta, wearing a mask and covering most of his face, made the brief remark while entering the Crime Branch office at Sunlight Colony.
Sources said he was questioned by Goa Police and it initiated formal procedures to apprehend him and seek a transit remand. The sources said that Gupta had been evading from investigators since the December 6 blaze in north Goa's Arpora area.
"A Look Out Circular (LOC) had been issued against him after Goa Police failed to find him in Delhi during their first search. He was later located at a private hospital in Lajpat Nagar, where he had reportedly admitted himself citing spine-related medical issues. After medical clearance, he was detained and brought to the Crime Branch office for further procedures," the source added.
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He said that Gupta is likely to be placed under arrest once Goa Police completes the formalities for transit remand.
Goa Police has already arrested five staff members of the nightclub -- chief general manager Rajiv Modak, general manager Vivek Singh, bar manager Rajiv Singhania, gate manager Riyanshu Thakur and employee Bharat Kohli -- in connection with the tragedy.
Meanwhile, two owners of the nightclub, brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, left India shortly after the incident. An Interpol Blue Corner Notice has been issued against them.
The source said that Gupta will face detailed questioning in Goa about the club's management, operational responsibilities and fire-safety compliance.
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Stalin accuses Centre of trying to use women's quota as 'weapon,' slams EPS over delimitation
Chennai (PTI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has strongly criticised the Centre over the women's reservation and accused it of trying to use it as a "weapon" to tackle the opposition before taking up the delimitation exercise based on population.
"The Union government is not concerned about implementing reservations for women. If their concerns were genuine, they could have done it right away. Rather than doing that, the BJP-led Centre is thinking of using it as a weapon to tackle opposition and take up the delimitation exercise based on population," he told PTI in an interview.
"Hence, the women's reservation must be implemented immediately without showing delimitation as a reason," the DMK president added.
Expressing apprehensions on the proposed delimitation exercise, the CM said it was the DMK that raised the first voice asserting the rights of the state after realising that Tamil Nadu would be affected by the proposed exercise. He also attacked his rival and AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami over the delimitation issue.
Recalling efforts made by the DMK to raise the issue of population-based delimitation, he said an all-party meeting and a meeting of CMs under the auspices of the Joint Action Committee seeking fair delimitation were convened. It sought to freeze delimitation for 25 years and stick to it based on the 1971 Census population.
"We urged the union government that states which successfully implemented population control programmes must not be punished," he added.
The party came up with "Tamil Nadu poradum, Tamil Nadu vellum" (Tamil Nadu will struggle, Tamil Nadu will win) and this is DMK's stand, he said.
"However, Palaniswami, who is seeking votes for the entry of the BJP through the backdoor, has till date been mute over delimitation, and this is a betrayal of the people of Tamil Nadu."
