New Delhi : Fugitive Luthra brothers, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, told a Delhi court on Wednesday that they do not run day-to-day operations of the Arpora club that caught fire and said they were victims of authorities’ vindictive behaviour. The duo, against whom an Interpol Blue Corner Notice has been issued, is currently in Thailand and have refused to return as they say they fear arrest.
The applicant and his partners operate from Delhi and do not run the day-to-day operations. The day-to-day operations are managed by the on-ground/restaurant managers,” the plea said. Represented by senior advocates Sidharth Luthra and Tanvir Ahmed Mir, Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra said that they seek protection to come back to India and approach the courts in Goa for further relief as they apprehend arrest after landing in Delhi.
Luthra brothers fled to Thailand from Delhi within five hours of the tragic incident on December 7, according to police. However, Saurabh, in his plea, claimed in court that he went abroad for a business meeting a day before the fire occurred. On December 6, the applicant travelled to Thailand for a business meeting in connection with his professional engagements and potential restaurant sites,” their lawyer Sidharth Luthra told court.
Bulldozer action against the shack was taken after Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant ordered immediate demolition of the property as it was illegally constructed and had no safety measures. The Rohini Court of Delhi sought a response from the Goa government on the transit anticipatory bail filed by the Luthra brothers accused in the nightclub fire.
