The two brothers linked to the Goa nightclub fire that killed 25 people are believed to have been detained in Thailand, people familiar with the matter said, adding that the process to deport them to India to face trial has been initiated.
The external affairs ministry (MEA) is examining a request from the Goa government to revoke the passports of Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra, co-owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in North Goa. The brothers left India shortly after the December 6 blaze in Arpora, for which an Interpol Blue Corner notice has already been issued at the behest of the CBI.
Goa Police investigation revealed that the brothers booked flight tickets to Thailand even as emergency teams were battling the blaze.
According to officials, Gaurav and Saurabh booked their tickets on MakeMyTrip at 1:17 am on December 7, a time when firefighters and police were struggling to douse the flames and rescue those trapped inside the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora. “Even as the Goa Police and Goa Fire Services were battling to douse the fire and rescue the people trapped inside, the Luthra brothers were preparing to flee the country,” an official said.
Earlier on Wednesday, a New Delhi court declined to grant interim protection from arrest to the brothers. Their lawyers argued that the Luthras had not fled the country but were on a business trip, and maintained that they were licensees - not owners - of the nightclub. They further contended that day-to-day operations were managed by the club’s staff, absolving the brothers of direct responsibility.
Meanwhile, Goa Police have arrested five managers and staff members in connection with the fire, which broke out around midnight and quickly engulfed the venue, located about 25 km from Panaji. Authorities in India are now coordinating with their counterparts in Thailand as the deportation process moves forward.
Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant said the inquiry report into the tragedy will be ready within eight days, as the state begins disbursing compensation to victims’ families and tightens safety audits across entertainment venues.
(This article first appeared on Hindustan Times)
