Goa nightclub fire: Delhi court refuses interim relief to Luthra brothers, owners of Birch by Romeo Lane

Of the victims, 4 were confirmed tourists, 14 were staff members, and the identities of 7 are still unknown, said the Goa police.

New Delhi: In the ‘Goa nightclub fire’ case, a Delhi court has refused interim relief to the Luthra brothers, owners of Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in North Goa on Saturday night, December 6. The fire broke out at Birch by Romeo Lane after midnight. The popular party venue at Arpora village, around 25 km from the state capital Panaji, opened last year.

Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra

Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, the absconding owners of the Goa nightclub, are suspected to have fled to Phuket in Thailand, an escape carried out within five hours of the blaze, a Goa Police official said on Monday, December 8.

Luthra Brothers fled to Phuket via an IndiGo flight

The police continued their search for the two brothers, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra. A Goa Police team on Monday, December 8, pasted notices on the walls of their residences in Delhi. Investigators have also approached the CBI to seek an Interpol notice against the owners of the ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ club, who boarded an IndiGo flight to Phuket at 5.30 a.m. on Sunday, December 7, to evade arrest and questioning following the midnight inferno.

Look Out Circular against Luthra brothers

A Look Out Circular (LOC) against the Luthra brothers was issued on Sunday evening, hours after they had flown to Thailand around 5 a.m. on Sunday. On Monday, the Goa Police obtained transit remand of accused Bharat Kohli from Delhi to bring him to the western state where the tragedy took place. An Anjuna Police Station official said that the post-mortem of the victims was completed on Monday, following which the bodies were handed over to their relatives, an IANS report said.

Meanwhile, the absconding partner of Goa’s Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, Ajay Gupta, was detained by the Goa police on Tuesday, December 9, in Delhi. Gupta said, “I am just a partner,” after being detained.