In a signifi cant development in the high-profile Birch Fire tragedy case, the Addition al Sessions Court in Mapu sa has granted bail to Ajay Gupta, the main accused in the incident that left 25 people dead in North Goa. Gupta, listed as accused number one in the charge sheet filed by Anjuna Po lice, had been arrested in New Delhi over three months ago. The case per tains to the devastating fire that broke out at a nightclub in Arpora village on December 6, claiming the lives of 20 staff mem bers and five tourists.
Arguing for bail, Advocate Rohan Desai submitted that there is ‘no evidence’ against his client in the chargesheet. He contended that the voluminous document fails to clear ly spell out Gupta’s role in the incident and maintained that the allegations of document forgery are ‘baseless’. The court, after hearing submissions, granted Gupta bail on a surety of Rs 50,000, subject to stringent conditions. He has been directed not to leave the country without pri or permission of the court, to surrender his passport and to refrain from tampering with evidence while out on bail. The prosecution case is built on a 4,150-page charge sheet filed on February 27 against 13 accused, including nightclub owners Saurabh Luthra, Gaurav Luthra, and Ajay Gupta. Investigators recorded statements from over 300 witnesses during the course of the probe. The tragedy, one of the deadliest fire incidents in Goa’s recent history, had triggered widespread outrage and re newed scrutiny of safety compliance and regulatory over sight in the state’s nightlife industry.
