Nightclub Fire Accused Fled To UK, Protected By 'Big Guys', Says Original Landowner

Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar, original owner of the land on which the fire-ravaged nightclub in North Goa stood, alleged on Friday that "some big guys" were protecting Surinder Kumar Khosla, one of the accused in the case.

In an interview with PTI, Amonkar claimed that police allowed Khosla, a British national, to flee to the UK after the devastating fire at `Birch by Romeo Lane' club at Arpora village claimed 25 lives on Dec. 6.

Amonkar has been fighting a legal battle against Khosla to get the land back from him. Goa police, who has arrested eight persons including club owners Saurabh Luthra, Gaurav Luthra and Ajay Gupta, have named Khosla as an accused in the same First Information Report over the blaze. Police were still looking for Khosla, according to a senior official.

"The demolition order by the village panchayat against the club was in Khosla's name. All the complaints filed against the club named Khosla. He is the prime accused," Amonkar claimed.

But despite being the "prime accused", Khosla managed to flee the country as "some big guys are protecting him," he said, adding that the Arpora-Nagoa panchayat gave permission to the nightclub despite being informed in writing that the land did not belong to those who had sought the permission.

Amonkar recently filed a civil suit against Khosla before the Goa Bench of the Bombay High court which was converted into a Public Interest Litigation to fix accountability for the fire tragedy.

Talking about his association with Khosla, Amonkar said he had initially rented out 24 out of 107 apartments constructed on the piece of land adjacent to the club to Khosla in 2004.

According to Amonkar, six months after entering into an agreement to sell his land to Khosla, he withdrew his consent as no payment was received, but Khosla did not restore the possession to him and allowed a nightclub to be set up on the land.

Khosla was "very much in Goa" when the fire incident took place as he was supposed to attend a court hearing, said Amonkar.

He believed that the investigation was on the right track, but had some doubts as Khosla was not arrested, he said.