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.

"I'm only a sleeping partner with the Luthras, nothing else," he said.

Gupta, wearing a mask and covering most of his face, made the brief remark while entering the Crime Branch office at Sunlight Colony.

According to sources, Gupta is likely to be placed under arrest once Goa Police completes the formalities for transit remand.

Earlier, a Look Out Circular (LOC) had been issued against Gupta after a Goa police team failed to find him at his Delhi residence.

"We later managed to detain him in Delhi," the official said, adding that Gupta would be placed under arrest after the completion of formalities to bring him to Goa.

"Gupta will be flown to Goa on Wednesday for interrogation," the official said.

Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, the two primary owners of the nightclub located at Arpora in Goa, had fled to Phuket in Thailand following the tragedy on the night of December 6. An Interpol Blue Corner Notice has been issued against them.

During the probe, it was found from the immigration records that the duo took flight IndiGo flight 6E 1073 to Phuket, Thailand, at 5:30 am on Sunday, December 7, just hours after the incident took place around midnight.

A senior official told news agency that this swift exit by Luthras shows their "intent to avoid the police investigation."

The officials had visited the house of Gaurav and Saurabh Lutha in Delhi and questioned their family members.

On Monday, the Goa Police had written to the Regional Passport Officer in Goa, requesting the “urgent revocation of passports” of the Luthra brothers.

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.

An excavator demolishes wooden structures at Romeo Lane on Anjuna beach after a fire at the adjacent Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub killed 25 people, as the state administration begins pulling down the tourism property, in Goa, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. PTI picture

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.

"This shack is illegally built on government land. It will be demolished on Tuesday. District administration has kept all the machinery ready," a senior CMO official said.

Besides, an LOC has been issued against Surinder Kumar Khosla, another owner of the nightclub who is a British citizen, according to police.

The 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.

Twenty-five persons were killed in the fire at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora in North Goa around midnight on December 6.

The cause of death of 19 killed in the fire incident has been certified as “cerebral and pulmonary edema consequent to inhalation of asphyxiant gases”, while the cause of death of two has been established as “pulmonary and cerebral edema consequent to inhalation of asphyxiant gases in a person with desino epidermal flame burn injuries”.