Goa nightclub fire: Luthra brothers deported from Thailand, arrested

New Delhi, Dec 16 (PTI) Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, co-owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, were arrested on Tuesday after being deported from Thailand and placed under a two-day transit remand for production in a Goa court in connection with the December 6 fire incident that killed 25 people.

The brothers arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here in an Indigo flight and were immediately handed over to authorities for further legal proceedings, 10 days after the blaze tore through the nightclub in Arpora in North Goa. The two had fled to Phuket hours after the tragedy.

Amid tight security, Gaurav, 44, and Saurabh, 40, were later produced before Judicial Magistrate Twinkle Chawla in the Patiala House Court, which allowed the Goa Police a two-day transit remand.

The investigating officer of the Goa police had sought three days of transit remand and informed the court that they would be taken to Goa by flight at the earliest.

A Goa police spokesperson later said in Panaji that the police team is expected to bring the accused to Goa by Wednesday morning.

Both the accused were taken to the court in Delhi in two separate police vehicles. They were also taken to the Safdarjang Hospital for a medical checkup.

The Luthra brothers are facing a case of culpable homicide and negligence following the tragedy, which investigators allege was compounded by the nightclub operating in violation of mandatory fire safety norms.

The incident raised serious questions over alleged fire safety violations and lapses by the management.

Gaurav and Saurabh fled to Phuket in the early hours of December 7 after the midnight fire at their nightclub, prompting the authorities to issue an Interpol Blue Corner Notice and cancel their passports.

The duo was detained by Thai authorities at Phuket on December 11 following a request from the Indian government, which later coordinated with officials in Thailand to deport them under legal treaties between the two nations.

In a statement in Panaji, a Goa police spokesperson said, "After taking the custody of the deported Luthra brothers in New Delhi and on obtaining the transit remand, the Goa police are bringing both the accused to Goa." "The police team, along with the accused, is expected to reach Goa by tomorrow (Wednesday) morning," he said.

On December 11, a Delhi court had rejected the transit anticipatory bail pleas. Additional Sessions Judge Vandana termed the allegations against the brothers "prima facie grave and serious" and severely criticised their "conduct." The court took note of the police investigation that the brothers had booked tickets to Phuket one hour after the fire, a fact their counsel had initially "concealed" while seeking protection from immediate arrest.

The judge had said that leaving immediately after the tragedy was a clear attempt to "evade the legal process".

Observing that "someone has to be held accountable" for the tragedy, the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court on Monday converted a civil suit against the nightclub into a public interest litigation (PIL).

One co-owner, Ajay Gupta, five managers and staff members have already been arrested by the Goa Police in connection with the fire. PTI MHS SKM MNR RPS KSS MIN SKL RT