Goa Nightclub Fire: Owners Saurabh & Gaurav Luthra Fled To Thailand Hours After 25 Killed
Among the 25 victims were three sisters, Anita, Kamla and Saroj Joshi, and Vinod Kumar, the husband of another sister. Their cremations were held in Delhi on Monday.
Police on Monday said Birch nightclub owners Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra fled to Thailand just hours after the massive blaze that killed 25 people. The revelation comes a day after Saurabh Luthra issued a public statement expressing deep grief over the tragedy and assuring full cooperation with the investigation.
According to Goa Police, the duo boarded IndiGo flight 6E 1073 from Delhi to Phuket at 5.30 am on December 7-barely five hours after authorities received the first call about the blaze at 12:04 am.
Police teams who visited their Delhi residence on Monday found no one there, and later confirmed the owners had already left the country.
On Instagram, however, Saurabh Luthra issued a statement expressing “profound grief” and said the management was “deeply shaken” by the tragedy, adding that they would offer support to victims’ families “in every possible form”.
The massive fire at the Arpora-based nightclub is suspected to have started after a cooking-gas cylinder blast. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has ordered a magisterial inquiry, forming a four-member committee to determine the cause and establish accountability.
Among the 25 victims were three sisters, Anita, Kamla and Saroj Joshi, and Vinod Kumar, the husband of another sister. Their cremations were held in Delhi on Monday.
Goa Police also detained nightclub employee Bharat Kohli in Delhi on Monday and transported him to Goa for questioning.
Meanwhile, the BJP-led state government has acted against Romeo Lane, the restaurant-and-bar chain linked to the Luthras, sealing two of its properties in Vagator and Assagao, along with a beach shack and another club.
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