Phuket: Days after a devastating fire killed 25 people at a nightclub in Goa, the first photograph of Gaurav Luthra, one of the owners of Birch by Romeo Lane, has emerged from Thailand.
The image, now circulated on social media, reportedly shows Luthra at the airport in Phuket, where he is believed to have fled with his brother Saurabh within hours of the incident.
Have a look at it here:
Gaurav Luthra at Phuket airport. | X
Owners left India within hours of blaze
Goa Police have confirmed that Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, Delhi-based businessmen who own the nightclub in Arpora, north Goa, boarded an IndiGo flight from New Delhi to Phuket at 5:30 am on December 7. Police received information about the fire at 12:04 am on Sunday, placing the brothers’ departure just hours after the tragedy.
Officers who visited their residence in Delhi on Monday found them absent, later confirming that both had already left the country. Deputy Superintendent of Police Nilesh Rane, the Goa Police public relations officer, said enquiries with the Bureau of Immigration showed the brothers had exited India soon after the incident, indicating an attempt to evade investigation. A look-out circular was issued through immigration authorities on Sunday evening.
About the case
According to police, coordination has been initiated with the Interpol division of the CBI to secure the brothers’ arrest at the earliest. An employee of the nightclub, identified as Bharat Kohli, was detained in Delhi on Monday and taken to Goa for questioning.
The fire at Birch by Romeo Lane, located in the coastal village of Arpora, is suspected to have been triggered by live pyrotechnic used in side the bar during a dance performance. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has ordered a four-member magisterial inquiry to establish the cause of the blaze and fix responsibility.
On social media, Saurabh shared an official statement expressing grief over the loss of lives and said the management would extend support to victims’ families in every possible way.
Meanwhile, the BJP-led state government has moved against the Romeo Lane chain, sealing two of its properties in Vagator and Assagao, along with a beach shack and another club, as the investigation continues.
