Goa Nightclub Fire: Luthra Brothers Detained in Thailand After Fleeing Deadly Blaze That Killed 25

While a catastrophic fire engulfed a Goa nightclub claiming 25 lives, co-owners Saurav and Gaurav Luthra were attending a wedding celebration in Delhi. Upon learning about the devastating blaze at their establishment, Birch By Romeo Lane, they hastily arranged travel to Thailand.

Court documents revealed that the brothers booked flights to Phuket at 1:17 am on December 7, approximately one hour after the fire erupted, and had left India by 5:20 am.

On Thursday, authorities announced that the Luthra brothers had been detained in Thailand. A Delhi court rejected their anticipatory transit bail applications, citing their behavior and the severity of the charges. The Goa government's legal representative emphasized to the court, "They left, they concealed, and they are now seeking leniency," highlighting how they fled immediately following the fire incident and were avoiding legal proceedings.

According to Goa Police, the brothers face accusations of injury causing death, manslaughter, and murder for organizing a fire show "without taking proper care and caution and without providing fire safety equipment, other safety gadgets."

After Gaurav Luthra, 44, and his brother Saurabh, 40, escaped to Phuket, an Interpol Blue Corner notice was issued on December 9 following a request from Goa police channeled through the CBI.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant provided assurance that the brothers would be returned to India promptly to face legal consequences.

The state subsequently prohibited the use of fireworks, sparklers, pyrotechnic effects, flame thrower-type devices, smoke generators, and similar equipment inside tourist establishments. Reports indicated that fireworks were the cause of the blaze at Birch by Romeo Lane.

The third accused, Ajay Gupta, a silent partner and investor in the nightclub, was in Goa when the fire broke out on December 6 in Arpora. He did not visit the club but took a flight to Delhi the following morning. Police were unable to locate him at his Gurugram residence but discovered him two days later admitted to a hospital in Lajpat Nagar. He has been placed in police custody for seven days.