Goa Nightclub Fire Case: Luthra Brothers Sent To 5-Day Police Custody
The Luthra brothers, Delhi-based entrepreneurs and co-owners of the nightclub, were arrested after landing in Delhi on Tuesday following their deportation from Thailand.
A Goa court on Wednesday remanded the co-owners of the ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ nightclub to five days of police custody in connection with the deadly fire that killed 25 people earlier this month. The brothers, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, were arrested after being deported from Thailand and produced before the court. The case has drawn widespread attention due to the scale of the tragedy, allegations of negligence and the accused fleeing the country hours after the blaze.
The Luthra brothers, Delhi-based entrepreneurs and co-owners of the nightclub, were arrested after landing in Delhi on Tuesday following their deportation from Thailand. They had travelled to Phuket roughly an hour and a half after the fire broke out at their club in Arpora, North Goa, on December 6.
Thai authorities detained the duo at their hotel in Phuket last week after India formally sought their detention. The Government of India had approached international agencies and secured a Blue Notice from Interpol to trace their movement. Their passports were subsequently impounded and cancelled by the Ministry of External Affairs, after which the Indian Embassy issued emergency certificates to facilitate their return.
Court Orders Custody, Medical Plea Rejected
During the hearing, the accused claimed they were suffering from back pain. Advocate Vishnu Joshi, representing the victims’ families, said the court ordered a fresh medical examination. However, no medical necessity was found. “After considering all submissions, the court exercised its authority and granted five days of police remand,” Joshi told PTI.
An FIR has been registered against the brothers under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), Sections 125(a) and (b) (acts endangering life and personal safety), and Section 287 (negligent conduct with fire or combustible matter).
So far, six people have been named in the case, including five managerial staff members and Ajay Gupta, a business partner of the Luthras. Police are also searching for a seventh accused, Surinder Kumar Khosla, a British property owner who signed a lease agreement in 2023 with Being GS Hospitality Goa Arpora LLP, the firm under which the nightclub was operated. Investigations into the circumstances leading to the fire are continuing.
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