Goa Nightclub Blaze: Delhi Court Grants Transit Remand, Luthra Brothers Taken to Goa

The owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Goa’s Arpora, brothers Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, were taken to Goa by the Goa Police after a Delhi court granted a two-day transit remand on Wednesday.

The brothers were brought to Delhi early Tuesday after being deported from Thailand, where they had allegedly fled following a deadly fire at their nightclub on December 6 that claimed 25 lives. Upon arrival at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, they were taken into custody by a Goa Police team and produced before the Patiala House Court.

Duty Metropolitan Magistrate Twinkle Chawla granted a 48-hour transit remand, allowing the police to take the accused to Goa for further investigation. While the police had sought a three-day remand, the court limited it to two days and directed authorities to ensure that the brothers are provided with their prescribed medicines during transit.

According to the prosecution, the fire broke out during a fire show organised at the nightclub in North Goa’s Arpora area. Preliminary findings suggest that the event was held without adequate safety arrangements, including proper fire-fighting equipment and emergency evacuation facilities. The blaze killed 25 people, including tourists and staff, and injured several others.

Investigators allege that the nightclub did not have emergency exit doors on the ground and deck floors, despite hosting the fire show. A criminal case was registered on December 7 at the Arpora Anjuna Police Station under sections 105, 125, 125(a), 125(b) and 287, read with section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, for negligence and endangering lives.

Advocate Surjendu Shankar Das said the brothers would be flown to Goa at the earliest, likely on Wednesday morning. Advocate Vishnu Joshi, representing one of the victims’ families, said the arrests followed the brothers’ deportation from Bangkok and the grant of transit remand by the Delhi court.

Earlier, a Delhi court had rejected the brothers’ plea for transit anticipatory bail, citing the seriousness of the allegations. The siblings were detained by Thai police in Phuket after Indian authorities moved to suspend their passports and sought their deportation. The deportation was carried out following due legal process under the India–Thailand extradition framework.

Also Read: Goa Nightclub Blaze: Luthra Brothers Detained in Thailand