New Delhi, Dec 11: A Delhi court on Thursday dismissed the transit anticipatory bail pleas of Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, co-owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in North Goa where a devastating fire on December 6 claimed 25 lives.
The brothers, who were detained in Thailand earlier this week, had sought four weeks of protection from arrest upon their return to India. The court, however, refused relief after the State of Goa strongly opposed the plea. “They left, they concealed, and they are now seeking leniency,” counsel for the Goa government argued.
According to officials, the brothers left for Phuket on December 7, booking their tickets barely an hour after the blaze in Arpora, and were later detained in Thailand following an Interpol notice issued on December 9 at the request of the Goa Police. The deportation process has already begun.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the brothers would be brought back “at the earliest” to face investigation and legal proceedings. He added that a team of Goa Police and the CBI would bring them back “as soon as possible.” Sawant also said a local panchayat official would be arrested for failing to cooperate with the probe.
Meanwhile, Ajay Gupta, who has described himself as a silent partner and investor in the nightclub, was sent to seven days’ police custody after being brought to Goa from Delhi on December 10 for questioning.
The Luthra brothers are the prime accused in the case, which has triggered widespread outrage over safety lapses and alleged regulatory violations at the nightclub. Officials reiterated that the duo “had left for Phuket in Thailand shortly after the fire incident,” and that efforts are underway to ensure their swift return to India.
