Panaji : Luthra brothers Gaurav and Saurabh, the owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Goa where a fire killed 25 people, were brought to Delhi on Tuesday after being deported from Thailand. They were arrested by the Goa Police present at the Delhi airport. The brothers landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport after boarding a flight from Thailand. Central agencies accompanied them to Delhi, where a Goa Police team were present at the immigration area to complete formal arrest procedures.
A team from the Goa Police, along with Delhi Police officials, took charge of the accused inside the airport following immigration clearance. They are likely to be produced before the Mapusa Magistrate Court on December 17 after being brought to the state for questioning. Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra had fled to Phuket within hours of the fire incident. Thai authorities detained them for overstaying, following which Indian authorities suspended their passports, clearing the way for their deportation.
The fire broke out earlier this month at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora, North Goa, during a crowded event. Investigators are probing alleged violations of fire safety norms, licencing conditions and other statutory requirements at the club. A civil claim related to the property housing the nightclub was converted into a Public Interest Litigation by the Bombay High Court’s Goa bench on December 16. The court observed that accountability was essential in such cases and sought a response from the state government on the licences granted to the establishment.
The bench also flagged that commercial activities continued at the site despite a demolition order and earlier complaints to the local panchayat. The Goa government has constituted a special legal team drawn from the Law and Prosecution Departments to pursue the case. Police have invoked Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which carries a punishment of up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
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