Luthra brothers exercised ‘ultimate control’ over Goa nightclub, police tell court

Nine days after fleeing India within hours of a deadly fire at their Goa nightclub, Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra were deported from Thailand and taken into custody by the Goa Police on December 16.

Investigators told a Delhi court that the brothers exercised “ultimate control” over the nightclub’s operations, safety arrangements and permissions, placing direct responsibility on them for the tragedy that killed 25 people.

The brothers were detained soon after they landed at the Delhi airport on December 16 afternoon. The Goa Police obtained a transit remand from the Patiala House Court to take them to Goa, where they are expected to be flown on December 17 morning.

In its remand application, the police said the Luthra brothers were the main owners of ‘Birch’ by Romeo Lane, located in Arpora, Bardez, and were in charge of how the club functioned, including safety measures and events held at the premises.

Judicial Magistrate First Class Twinkle Chawla, in her order, said there was sufficient material on record to show the brothers’ involvement. The court noted that the accused had ultimate control over the operation, safety arrangements, permissions and events at the nightclub.

Confirming the development, the Goa Police said a team was escorting the accused to Goa and was likely to arrive with them around 11 am on December 17.

Investigators said the brothers left the country within hours of the blaze, which broke out shortly before midnight on December 6. They booked flight tickets at 1.17 am on December 7, less than 90 minutes after the fire, and flew from Delhi to Phuket at 5.30 am.

According to police, the fire control room received information about the incident at 11.45 pm on December 6. At the time, the brothers were attending a wedding in Delhi and were informed about the fire by a club staff member.

After they fled, a Look Out Circular was issued against them, followed by a Blue Corner Notice. The Ministry of External Affairs later impounded their passports.

The brothers were detained last week at a hotel in Patong, Thailand, after Indian authorities sought assistance from Thai officials. They were moved to an immigration facility in Bangkok, where deportation proceedings were expedited. Sources said the Indian Embassy in Bangkok issued emergency certificates to enable their return to India.

A fire safety inspection report has flagged serious lapses at the nightclub, findings that are expected to be central to the investigation as the case proceeds in Goa.