News Desk – Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra the owners of Birch by Romeo Lane, the Goa nightclub where a massive fire killed 25 people have been detained in Phuket, Thailand. Police say the fire was likely caused by a cylinder blast.
The brothers fled India just hours after the tragedy, taking an IndiGo flight from Delhi around 1:17 am on December 7 the same time firefighters were trying to control the blaze and rescue guests trapped inside. A Look-Out Circular and an Interpol Blue Notice were issued soon after. Goa Police will now travel to Thailand to bring them back for trial.
Brothers Claim Innocence, Say Trip Was “Business, Not Escape”
After reaching Thailand, the Luthras filed for anticipatory bail in a Delhi court, claiming they did not run the club’s daily operations.
They insisted their trip was pre-planned and not an attempt to run away from the investigation.
According to the FIR, the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub had no fire extinguishers, no alarms, no suppression systems, and no fire audit on record all mandatory safety requirements.
Police also said:
The club hosted a fire performance without proper safety precautions
Owners and staff knew the risks but ignored them
There were no emergency exits on either floor, causing several people to get trapped
These violations, police say, directly contributed to the high death toll.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant warned that strict action would follow. A second property owned by the brothers a beach shack was demolished for being illegal and unsafe.
He also promised that the Luthra brothers would be arrested soon.
On Tuesday, co-owner Ajay Gupta was detained in Delhi. He claimed he was only a “sleeping partner” and was not involved in the club’s operations or its safety lapses.
