Goa Police have found that absconding businessmen Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra booked flight tickets to Thailand at 1:17 am on December 7, at the very time firefighters and police were struggling to contain the massive blaze at their Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Anjuna. The fire claimed 25 lives, and the timing of the bookings has sharply increased scrutiny on the duo, who left India within hours of the tragedy.
Investigators say the tickets were booked via the MakeMyTrip platform while rescue operations were in full swing. A senior officer alleged that the brothers were preparing their escape even as emergency teams were trying to save people trapped inside the burning club.
Brothers call it ‘business trip’, deny fleeing
In court, however, the Luthras have claimed the travel was planned in advance. Their lawyer told Delhi’s Rohini Court that Saurabh had flown to Thailand on December 6 for a business meeting and to explore potential restaurant locations. The defence argued that they now want legal protection so they can return to India without being arrested immediately on landing.
The Rohini Court heard their plea for transit anticipatory bail but refused to grant urgent relief, listing the matter for hearing again the next day. Goa Police, who were present in court, strongly opposed the application. Represented by senior advocates Sidharth Luthra and Tanvir Ahmed Mir, the brothers argued they fear arrest the moment they step back into the country, calling the action against them “witch-hunting” and seeking limited relief to approach the appropriate court in Goa.
Demolition of second shack termed ‘vindictive’
The Luthras also pointed to the demolition of a second Goa property to allege that action against them is “vindictive”. The beach shack linked to them was demolished after Chief Minister Pramod Sawant ordered the immediate razing of all illegal structures on salt-pan land without fire-safety clearances. Officials said the shack was unauthorised and lacked basic safety provisions, making it a risk comparable to the Anjuna nightclub.
Read More: Goa Nightclub Fire: Missing Goa Club Owner Breaks Silence After Deadly Fire Killed 25
Other arrests and ongoing investigation
In a parallel development, another accused, Ajay Gupta, was produced before a Delhi magistrate by Goa Police on Wednesday. After his medical examination, he is to be taken to Goa for further questioning. Investigators say the probe is moving quickly and that more arrests are expected as they reconstruct the events leading up to the fire and examine the alleged efforts by the main accused to flee in the hours that followed. The case remains before the Rohini Court in Delhi, which will hear the Luthra brothers’ plea along with the Goa government’s response.
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