Police have initiated the process to issue a Blue Corner Notice against the property owner, Surinder Kumar Khosla (Source: ANI)
Two weeks after a fire at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in North Goa’s Arpora killed 25 people, including five tourists, the police have initiated the process to issue a Blue Corner Notice against the property owner, Surinder Kumar Khosla. Police said Khosla is a UK national and owner of the property, on which the “unauthorised structure” housing the nightclub had been operating.
In a statement on Saturday, police said the step is being taken to ascertain Khosla’s whereabouts and to secure his presence for the investigation. “Goa Police has initiated the process for issuance of an Interpol Blue Corner Notice against UK national Surinder Kumar Khosla, the owner of the property on which the unauthorised structure housing the nightclub Birch by Romeo Lane was functioning,” the police said.
According to documents, M/S Being GS Hospitality Goa Arpora LLP, which operates Birch by Romeo Lane and has Saurabh Luthra, Gaurav Luthra and Ajay Gupta as partners, entered into a licence agreement with the property owner, Surinder Kumar Khosla, on November 28, 2023, to lease a property called ‘Cordonicho Agor’ at Sankwadi Arpora measuring 31,200 square metres.
Police had earlier named Khosla as an accused in the case, saying he had leased the property to Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra. A look out circular (LOC) had been issued for him. The Luthra brothers were deported from Thailand earlier this week, after a request from Indian law enforcement agencies. The brothers were detained from a hotel in Thailand’s Patong last week, and taken into custody by Goa police after their deportation.
A district court in Goa remanded the accused brothers to five days’ police custody on Wednesday. According to investigators, the Luthra brothers had taken a flight from Delhi to Phuket at 5:30 am on December 7, hours after the incident, which took place around midnight. The duo booked the tickets at 1:17 am on December 7 to flee the country, within 90 minutes of the blaze.
Curated by Dr. Elena Rodriguez
