Birch by Romeo Lane fire tragedy: Luthra brothers taken to Goa after Delhi Court grants transit remand

NEW DELHI: The owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Goa’s Arpora, brothers Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, have been taken to Goa by the Goa Police after a Delhi Court granted a two-day transit remand, officials said on Wednesday.

Visuals of early Wednesday morning from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport showed the two in police custody following their deportation from Thailand and arrest by a Goa Police team.

The Luthra brothers were brought to Delhi earlier on Tuesday after being deported from Thailand, where they had allegedly fled following a deadly fire at their nightclub that claimed 25 lives on December 6. Upon arrival, the Goa Police formally arrested them and produced them before the Patiala House Court, which authorised the police to take them to Goa for further investigation.

Duty Metropolitan Magistrate Twinkle Chawla granted a 48-hour transit remand to the Goa Police. During the hearing, the police sought a three-day remand, citing the need for sufficient time to transport the accused and complete procedural formalities safely. However, the court permitted a two-day transit period and directed the authorities to ensure that the accused are provided with their prescribed medicines during transit.

According to the prosecution, the fire broke out during a fire show organised at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in North Goa’s Arpora area.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the event was conducted without adequate safety measures, including proper fire-fighting equipment and emergency evacuation infrastructure. The blaze resulted in the deaths of 25 people, including tourists and staff, and left several others injured.

Investigators allege that the nightclub lacked emergency exit doors on the ground and deck floors, yet the fire show was still organised. 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 life.

Advocate Surjendu Shankar Das, speaking after the hearing, said the brothers would be flown to Goa at the earliest, likely on Wednesday morning. Advocate Vishnu Joshi, representing a victim’s family, said the arrest followed their 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 gravity of the allegations. The siblings were detained by Thai police in Phuket after Indian authorities moved to suspend their passports and sought their deportation, which was carried out following due legal process under the India-Thailand extradition framework. (ANI)