A new probe into the Goa nightclub fire that killed at least 25 people on December 6 revealed new evidence indicating that the owners Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra booked flight tickets to Thailand at the very moment emergency services were trying to control the blaze and rescue trapped patrons. According to the investigation by the Goa police, both Luthra brothers booked their tickets for Phuket through a travel portal at 1.17 AM of December 7.
At that time, police and administration were battling the blaze at the nightclub 'Birch by Romeo Lane' at Arpora in North Goa, and trying to rescue their staff.
MEA considering revoking passports of Luthra brothers
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it is considering revoking the passports of Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, the main accused and owners of the Goa nightclub where a massive blaze claimed 25 lives, said sources on Wednesday.
Luthra brothers fail to get interim relief
On Wednesday, the Luthras failed to get an interim relief as a Delhi court posted their plea for an anticipatory bail for Thursday. The two left in an IndiGo plane for Phuket in the early hours of Sunday.
Meanwhile, another court in Delhi allowed the Goa Police a 36-hour transit remand of Ajay Gupta, one of the four owners of the nightclub.Twenty-five people were killed in the fire at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora in North Goa around midnight on December 6.
Luthra brothers move Rohini court seeking anticipatory bail
The Luthra brothers approached the Rohini district courts seeking transit anticipatory bail and their pleas came up for hearing before Additional Sessions Judge Vandana.
The court asked the Goa Police to respond to the pleas and posted the matter for hearing on Thursday. The Luthra brothers have said that they are only licensees and not the actual owners of the building where the club was located.
They have sought four weeks of transit anticipatory bail so that they are not immediately arrested after they return to Delhi from Thailand. They have also sought interim protection from arrest. During the hearing on the transit anticipatory bail pleas, one of the lawyers appearing for the brothers refuted the allegation that they had fled and said they had gone to Thailand for a business meeting.
He said no liability could be attributed to them, even vicariously. "My other restaurants have been bulldozed. The authorities and even the fourth estate are baying for my blood," the advocate said.
Saurabh's bail plea said, "The applicant has been advised that on account of the look-out circular (LOC) on his return to India, he will be detained/ arrested at the airport. The applicant wishes to join the investigation and extend his full co-operation, and his return to Delhi and then to Goa is impaired by the issuance of the LOC.”
Goa nightclub fire: Five people arrested so far
The police have so far arrested five people -- the nightclub's chief general manager, Rajiv Modak, general manager Vivek Singh, bar manager Rajiv Singhania, gate manager Riyanshu Thakur and employee Bharat Kohli.
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