Goa nightclub owners who fled after fatal blaze detained in Phuket
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The owners of Goa’s Birch By Romeo Lane nightclub, where 25 people died in a fire over the weekend, left India within five hours of the incident.
PHOTO: AFP
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PHUKET/NEW DELHI – A cross-border operation involving multiple agencies in India and Thailand has led to the detention of Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, owners of Goa’s Birch By Romeo Lane nightclub, where 25 people died in a fire over the weekend.
The brothers, who left India within five hours of the incident,
Deportation proceedings have begun and officials expect the duo to be brought back to India soon for further investigation.
Brothers fled India within hours of blaze
According to officials, the brothers booked their flight tickets at 1.17am local time on Dec 7, barely as firefighters and the police were still trying to control the inferno and rescue those trapped inside the Arpora nightclub.
The immigration authorities were the first to flag their departure, triggering immediate alerts across agencies.
By the time the scale of the tragedy became clear, the Luthras had already boarded a flight to Phuket.
Their movement out of the country prompted the authorities to suspend their passports while the Ministry of External Affairs is examining the Goa Police’s request for full revocation.
Their lawyers, appearing before a New Delhi court on Dec 10, argued that the brothers had not “fled” but were on a business trip and were merely licencees, not owners, of the nightclub.
The court declined to grant them interim protection from arrest.
Indian, Thai authorities tracked and detained them
Once the brothers’ exit was confirmed, Indian agencies alerted the Thai authorities with their full travel details.
Officials said the operation needed to be swift, as there was a real risk the brothers could leave Thailand once they were aware they had been traced.
Thai law enforcement launched islandwide searches across Phuket.
The detention could have happened sooner, but the brothers had shifted accommodation, forcing the authorities to widen the search.
Eventually, they were tracked down and detained, after which they were taken to a Phuket detention facility.
Indian officials are now coordinating the deportation process, which they expect could be completed within the next day.
Investigation in Goa widens
The Goa police have already arrested five managers and staff linked to the nightclub’s operations.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said a detailed inquiry report will be ready in eight days and has assured strict action.
Initial assessments indicate the fire was fuelled by the extensive use of inflammable decorative material, in addition to shocking lapses in fire safety norms.
Nearly 100 people were inside the nightclub when the blaze erupted, killing 25 and injuring six. THE STATESMAN/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
