A Delhi court on Thursday dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of Luthra brothers in Goa nightclub fire that killed at least 25 people. The bail plea was rejected by Additional Sessions Judge Vandana of Rohini Court. The Luthra brothers had fled to Thailand after the fire broke out at the nightclub on the night of December 6. The Delhi court said the conduct of Luthra brothers is grave and serious and added that the documents filed by them shows that license agreement, trade license and lease deed have already expired.
Luthra brothers sought four weeks of transit anticipatory bail
On Wednesday, the accused sought four weeks of transit anticipatory bail so that they are not immediately arrested after their return to Delhi from Thailand.
Additional Sessions Judge Vandana earlier in the day reserved the order till 5 pm after hearing the arguments of the advocates who appeared for the Luthras.
One of the counsels for the applicants argued that they were willing to return immediately and face the investigation, and urged the court not to “punish them at the threshold”.
He said the brothers had approached the Delhi court at the earliest opportunity and undertook to join the probe without delay. “If I land in India tonight and the investigating officer (IO) tells me to appear at midnight, I will be there,” he said.
The counsel said that transit bail was not a determination on merits but a limited protection to ensure safe access to the right court. He cited a Supreme Court order permitting an accused abroad, against whom Blue and Red Corner notices were contemplated, to return to India with temporary protection.
“I only seek protection for a few days to reach the court safely. When a citizen is willing to submit to the law, the Court must extend a helping hand, not a fist,” he said. Opposing the plea, the counsel for the state of Goa argued that the Luthra brothers had left Goa immediately after the fire and had been “evading the legal process”.
Luthra brothers detained in Thailand
Earlier in the day, Gaurav and Saurav Luthra were detained by the authorities in Thailand, and efforts are underway for their return to face legal action, officials said. 44-year-old Gaurav and his 40-year-old brother Saurav Luthra had fled to Phuket within hours after the December 6 tragedy at their club in Goa.
Blue Corner notice was issued on December 9
An Interpol Blue Corner notice was issued on December 9 following a request from the Goa police routed through the CBI. The Goa police said that the two brothers were accused of injury causing death, manslaughter and murder by organising a fire show “without taking proper care and caution and without providing fire safety equipment, other safety gadgets.”
According to officials, their deportation has been initiated, and the two would be brought to India after completion of exit formalities in Thailand. As soon as the news of the detention of the Luthra brothers emerged, pictures with handcuffs holding their passports started appearing on social media.
According to officials, the co-owners made an immediate attempt to evade arrest and booked their air tickets for Phuket through a travel portal at 1:17 AM on December 7, a little over an hour after learning about the fire at their nightclub.
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