Goa Nightclub Fire: Owners Flee to Thailand After Tragedy Claims 25 Lives

The two owners of the night club in Goa where tragedy struck have fled to Thailand

New Delhi:

The two owners of the night club in Goa where 25 people died in a fire escaped to Thailand hours after the incident occurred on Saturday night, police confirmed today. Until now, authorities had been searching for them.

Immediately following the filing of a first information report (FIR), a police team traveled to Delhi to locate the two accused - Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra. However, the suspects were not at their residence, prompting police to leave a notice at their home.

By Sunday evening, police had requested the Bureau of Immigration to issue a lookout circular. This alert notifies authorities at all entry and exit points across the country, including airports and ports, to detain individuals named in the system.

The Bureau of Immigration at Mumbai airport discovered that the two accused had flown to Thailand's Phuket at 5:30 am on Sunday, just hours after the deadly fire incident. The brothers were in Delhi when the fire erupted at their night club, Birch by Romeo Lane, in north Goa.

They boarded IndiGo flight 6E-1073 to flee to Thailand. IndiGo's international flights were unaffected by the pilot rostering issues that caused significant disruption to domestic operations in India.

Police stated that the two owners clearly intended to evade investigation.

The Goa Police have contacted the Interpol division of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to coordinate an operation for the prompt arrest of the two accused, according to sources.

A third accused, Bharat Kohli, who was apprehended in Delhi, has been transported to Goa for interrogation.

Officials from various government departments responsible for issuing permits and licenses to the club have been called for questioning to examine potential compliance failures and procedural violations. Police emphasized that the investigation is being conducted as a priority, and further action will depend on the findings.

Previously, Goa authorities had suspended Shamila Monteiro, Director of Fisheries and former Member Secretary of the Goa State Pollution Control Board, citing regulatory lapses, according to an official.