Goa Nightclub fire: Interpol Blue Notice issued against two owners, illegal shack demolished
New Delhi/Panaji (PTI): The Interpol has issued a Blue Notice against Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, the owners of a Goa nightclub, who are believed to have fled to Thailand just hours after a Saturday blaze claimed 25 lives, while the Goa Police put out a Look Out Circular against another set of owners.
The LOC was issued against Ajay Gupta and Surinder Kumar Khosla, a British citizen, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Varsha Sharma told reporters.
Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, the two primary owners of the nightclub, are believed to have fled to Phuket in Thailand following the Saturday night tragedy at ‘Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub in Arpora.
Two days after the horrific tragedy, state authorities on Tuesday demolished a beach shack illegally constructed by the Luthras in Vagator area, and appointed a fire safety audit panel for tourist establishments.
The Goa Chief Minister's office said that an Interpol Blue Corner Notice, meant to gather information about the accused, has been issued against the Luthras.
"A Look Out Circular (LOC) was issued against another set of owners of the nightclub, Ajay Gupta and UK citizen Surinder Kumar Khosla, hours after the Luthras fled," said Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Varsha Sharma.
ALSO READ: Nightclub fire: Goa govt orders demolition of Vagator beach shack of Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra
"All attempts are being made to get the Luthra brothers back to India...they were not in Goa at the time of the incident," she added.
Then Director of Panchayat Siddhi Halarnkar and then Goa State Pollution Control Board Member Secretary Shamila Monteiro have been asked to join the investigation, the DIG said.
The Goa Tourism Department demolished `Romeo Lane', a beach shack illegally constructed at Vagator by the Luthras, on the directive of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, and reclaimed the 198 sqmt of land.
The structure, made of wood, was razed using machines, a senior official said, adding the demolition was carried out within two hours in the presence of police.
Police have so far arrested five persons -- the nightclub’s chief general manager Rajiv Modak, general manager Vivek Singh, bar manager Rajiv Singhania, gate manager Riyanshu Thakur and employee Bharat Kohli.
Kohli, a resident of Delhi, was allegedly responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the nightclub and was arrested in the national capital.
With the investigation brought to the fore several violations at the nightclub, Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar, the original landowner, claimed he had fought a legal battle for 20 years against Khosla, alleging persistent illegalities on the property.
Talking to PTI, Amonkar said he had purchased two plots of land in Arpora village in 1994 and signed an agreement for sale with Surinder Kumar Khosla in 2004, but it was withdrawn within six months as the latter failed to pay the money.
Kholsa went on to set up a nightclub on the land, and it was later taken over by Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, Amonkar claimed.
The Arpora-Nagoa panchayat issued a demolition notice to Khosla in 2024. But Khosla challenged it and got a stay from the Directorate of Panchayat, he said.
"I have been fighting a battle for the last 20 years against Khosla, who has been involved in all kinds of illegalities in this property (land) I own," he said.
In the aftermath of the fire tragedy, the state government constituted a high-level committee to frame SOPs for carrying out a comprehensive safety audit and for granting various licences to nightclubs, bars, restaurants, and tourist establishments.
Various violations of rules by the nightclub are now coming to light. Authorities have found that Kazakh national Kristina, who was performing a belly-dance when the blaze erupted, didn't have the business visa to perform in India.
Arpora Sarpanch Roshan Redkar had earlier said that they had attempted to demolish the structure in the past, but could not do so as the Directorate of Panchayat had issued a stay order.
The state authorities, on the other hand, have blamed the local panchayat for allowing the illegalities to continue.
The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) on Monday stated that the sarpanch had signed NOCs for electricity connection, water connection, house repairs and granted a trade licence, among other permissions to the establishment.
The nightclub continued to run even after its trade licence expired in March 2024.
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Mamata demands PM's apology over 'Bankim da' remark in Lok Sabha
Cooch Behar (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that he has insulted novelist Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay by calling him "Bankim da".
Addressing a rally in Cooch Behar district, Banerjee said the PM was not even born when the country achieved Independence and yet chose to address one of Bengal's greatest cultural icons casually.
"You did not even show him the minimum respect he deserves. You should apologise for this, to the nation," she said.
The flashpoint was PM's reference to the author during a discussion in Lok Sabha on Monday to commemorate 150 years of the national song, Vande Mataram, written by Chattopadhyay.
TMC MP Saugata Roy objected to the use of the suffix 'da' and urged the PM to say 'Bankim babu' instead.
Modi immediately accepted the sentiment, saying, "I will say Bankim 'babu'. Thank you, I respect your sentiments," and asked in a lighter vein whether he could still address Roy as 'dada'.
Targeting the BJP, Banerjee claimed that it will destroy Bengal's culture, language and heritage if it comes to power in the state.
She also claimed that the assembly elections in the state will be declared soon after publication of the final electoral rolls following the SIR exercise, so that no one can challenge it in court.
