Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, co-owners of the ill-fated Goa nightclub Birch by Romeo Lane, have filed a petition for anticipatory bail in Delhi’s Rohini Court following the catastrophic fire that claimed 25 lives.
The court will hear the plea later today, even as authorities fail to trace the brothers.
Authorities say the two have been absconding since the night of the incident.
INTERPOL has issued a Blue Corner Notice against the Luthra brothers as agencies intensify efforts to track their whereabouts.
Investigators believe the pair executed a swift and calculated escape, fleeing to Phuket, Thailand, mere hours after the blaze.
According to police inputs, they boarded an IndiGo flight at approximately 5.30 AM on Sunday, well before the Look Out Circular was formally issued later that evening.
A Goa Police team also visited their residences in Delhi, pasting official notices on the walls after failing to locate them.
Authorities describe their departure as a ‘well-planned’ attempt to avoid detention or questioning.
Detentions and Arrests Mount
The investigation gained momentum after the detention of Ajay Gupta, another co-owner of the nightclub.
His detention brings the total number of people taken into custody to six.
Those arrested include the chief general manager, Rajiv Modak; general manager, Vivek Singh; bar manager, Rajiv Singhania; gate manager, Riyanshu Thakur; and employee Bharat Kohli.
Police officials say the arrests reflect widening scrutiny into alleged operational lapses and safety violations at the venue.
The massive blaze erupted around midnight on Sunday at the nightclub located near the backwaters of the Arpora River in the bustling Baga area, a hotspot frequented by tourists.
The fire claimed 25 lives, among them four tourists and 14 staff members. The identities of seven victims are yet to be formally established. Six individuals injured in the incident are receiving treatment.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the club’s narrow entrance and exit severely hampered evacuation efforts, contributing to the high death toll.
The disaster has sparked renewed concerns over fire safety compliance across Goa’s nightlife establishments.
As police continue to piece together the sequence of events leading to the inferno, the focus remains firmly on locating the Luthra brothers and determining accountability.
The tragedy has prompted calls for stricter safety oversight to prevent such incidents in the future.
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