Goa CM Vows to Apprehend Luthra Brothers Following Deadly Nightclub Fire That Killed 25

New Delhi:

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has affirmed that the Luthra brothers - proprietors of the 'Birch' by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora where a devastating fire claimed 25 lives - will be apprehended regardless of where they attempt to hide.

Investigators report that Saurav and Gaurav Luthra booked flights to Thailand on December 6 while emergency services were battling the blaze at Birch and attempting to rescue trapped individuals. They are currently in Phuket, Thailand, from where they have requested pre-arrest bail.

In an exclusive conversation with NDTV, Chief Minister Sawant declared, "Whether it is Thailand or anywhere else, we will pick them up from there and put them behind bars."

The brothers face charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder after investigations revealed that Birch and their other properties violated numerous regulations.

The fire at Birch erupted on the evening of December 6 when planned pyrotechnics went wrong. The bamboo interior transformed the venue into a highly flammable environment, while the small bridge connecting it to the mainland and narrow access lanes complicated the timely arrival of fire engines. Subsequent investigations uncovered that the establishment lacked proper safety clearances.

Chief Minister Sawant stated that if other illegal properties exist, "definitely they will be demolished."

He explained, "We have formed a Magistral Committee. The report of the Magistral Committee will come. We have formed an Audit Committee. They do the structural audit. The third one is an Enforcement Committee. They will go to the field and check the structure like this. And after the report comes, the major violation that someone has done will be stopped."

Sawant added that another meeting was conducted today with all concerned officials and stakeholders. "We have said that for the coming season, it is Christmas, 31st of December, in this kind of season, no major incident like this should repeat," he emphasized.

On Tuesday, sections of "Romeo Lane" - a beach shack in Goa's Vagator owned by the Luthras - were demolished following an order issued by the Chief Minister.

In their bail application, the Luthras have claimed victim status themselves. They assert that the nightclub is operated by their business partners and managers, and they do not personally oversee daily operations of any of their companies.

The Luthras have also argued against criminal liability since they were not present at the nightclub when the fire broke out.

The court has denied immediate relief to the brothers and scheduled the next hearing for Thursday.