The Judicial Mag istrate First Class (JMFC), Mapusa, on Monday ex tended the police custody of the Luthra brothers by four more days in connec tion with the fire tragedy at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora. The Delhi-based owners of the nightclub will now be produced before the JMFC, Mapusa, on December 26. Police sought the ex tension of custody to fur ther investigate alleged forged documents that were reportedly submitted by the accused to obtain statutory permissions for operating the nightclub. Mapusa Police have also moved an application seek ing transit custody of the accused. Meanwhile, the JMFC Ma pusa court remanded Ajay Gupta, the third partner of the nightclub, to 14 days of judicial custody. Advocate Vishnu Joshi, who is also representing the families of the victims in the Arpora fire incident, said that a health certificate used to obtain the initial trade licence for Birch by Romeo Lane was found to be forged. He added that an FIR has been registered against the club’s owners, Gaurav and Saurav Luthra, in this connection. Joshi further informed that an additional FIR has been filed against Ajay Gupta for allegedly submitting a forged police verification document. The advocate also stated that the victims’ families would seek the intervention of central investigating agencies, in cluding the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforce ment Directorate (ED), and the Income Tax Department, to probe the matter. He alleged that the Luthra brothers own as many as 42 companies, many of which could be shell en tities, and called for a detailed investigation into the source and utilisation of funds generated through these firms.
Arpora fire tragedy: Luthras’ custody extended by four days
