Lawyers representing Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra met them in Thailand and briefed them on legal procedures, as deportation steps moved forward in the Goa nightclub fire case.
Phuket/Goa: Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, linked to the Birch By Romeo Lane nightclub fire that killed 25 people, after being detained by Thai authorities in Phuket. The third image shows the charred remains of the nightclub in Goa where the tragedy occurred. (Images: ANI)
A legal team representing Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, owners of Goa’s Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, met the brothers at a detention centre in Thailand as efforts to bring them back to India gathered pace, news agency ANI mentioned sources as saying on Monday.
The meeting took place for around 30 minutes, during which the lawyers briefed the Luthra brothers on the legal procedures ahead.
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The developments come days after a Delhi court rejected the brothers’ anticipatory bail plea in connection with the devastating nightclub fire in Goa that killed 25 people.
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How the Luthra brothers fled after the Goa nightclub fire, and how agencies caught them in Thailand
The Rohini court in New Delhi on December 11 dismissed the anticipatory bail plea filed by the Luthra brothers, even as they remained detained in Thailand after leaving India shortly following the incident.
During the hearing, Goa Police counsel Abhinav Mukherjee told the court that the brothers had falsely claimed minimal involvement in the business operations of the nightclub. Police also contested their claim that the foreign travel was pre-planned.
To counter the defence, investigators placed multiple documents on record, including an FSSAI application filed by Saurabh Luthra, a Pollution Control Board application, and GST records showing Saurabh Luthra, Gaurav Luthra and Ajay Gupta as partners in the business.
The Goa Police further informed the court that the Panchayat licence of the establishment had expired and was not renewed, and that the nightclub was operating without valid permission. A licence agreement was also produced to show that the Luthra brothers lacked authorisation to run the venue.
The prosecution argued that the brothers booked their flight at 1.15 am, shortly after the fire broke out, and flew to Thailand at 5 am on December 7. This, police said, pointed to an attempt to evade arrest.
It was also submitted that non-bailable warrants, a Look Out Circular and a Blue Corner Notice were issued after the brothers’ family members allegedly told police they were unaware of their whereabouts and did not have their contact numbers.
According to the prosecution, the Luthra brothers were responsible for running the nightclub with only one narrow exit and had organised the fire show that immediately preceded the blaze. Initial investigations have pointed to the heavy use of inflammable materials in the décor and gross violations of fire safety norms.
The fire, which broke out late Saturday night, killed 25 people and left six injured. Nearly 100 people were present inside the club at the time of the incident.
The brothers’ lawyer, Tanveer Ahmed, argued that his clients were being portrayed as fugitives despite informing their travel agent of their plans on December 6. He told the court that properties belonging to the family were being vandalised and alleged a personal vendetta by government agencies.
Ahmed also claimed there was a threat to his clients’ lives and said the Luthra brothers would return to India irrespective of the court’s decision. He maintained that they were businessmen and not individuals fleeing the country after committing large-scale financial fraud.
A swift multi-agency operation spanning two countries eventually led to the detention of the Luthra brothers in Thailand, where deportation-related formalities are now underway, sources said.
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