Goa nightclub fire: Delhi Court denies interim relief to Luthra brothers

Owners of Goa’s Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub that caught fire killing at least 25 people failed to get interim relief from a Delhi court. Owners of the nightclub, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, in their plea sought transit anticipatory bail for a hearing. Additional Sessions Judge Vandana, who was hearing the transit anticipatory bail of the accused persons, sought a response from Goa and set the next date of hearing for Thursday.

The brothers sought four weeks of transit anticipatory bail so that they would not be immediately arrested after they returned to Delhi from Thailand. They have also sought interim protection from arrest. Luthra brothers had fled to Phuket in Thailand following the tragedy on the night of 6th December. An Interpol Blue Corner Notice has been issued against them.

Earlier, a Look Out Circular (LOC) had been issued against Ajay Gupta, one of the four owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, after a Goa police team failed to find him at his Delhi residence. He was later detained in Delhi. A senior official has disclosed that Gupta would be placed under arrest after the completion of formalities to bring him to Goa. Besides, an LOC has been issued against Surinder Kumar Khosla, another owner of the nightclub. According to the police, he is a British citizen. 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.

A Delhi court on Wednesday allowed the Goa Police a 36-hour transit remand of Ajay Gupta, one of the four owners of Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, where a blaze left 25 people dead on December 6. Gupta was detained in Delhi for questioning in connection with the fire incident. Goa Police produced him before Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Vinod Joshi and sought his transit remand.

Meanwhile,The external affairs ministry is considering the Goa government's request to revoke the passports of Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra, co-owners of the Goa nightclub where 25 people were killed in a fire. The Goa Police has suspended the passports of Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra.The move blocks the brothers from travelling onwards from Phuket. Investigators say the brothers booked their tickets to Thailand at 1:17 am on December 7, barely an hour after news of the fire at their club, Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora, began to spread.