Luthras fled abroad, partner escaped Goa: What happened after the nightclub fire

Investigation into the Goa nightclub fire case has revealed how the three owners- Saurabh Luthra, Gaurav Luthra, and Ajay Gupta- reacted to the incident and allegedly tried to evade arrest. The fire at the Goa nightclub left 25 people dead.

The Luthra brothers, owners of the nightclub 'Birch By Romeo Lane' in Goa's Arpora, who were recently detained in Thailand following India’s extradition request, were reportedly attending a wedding when they were informed about the fire at the nightclub, reported NDTV.

Luthras left wedding after learning of blaze

Within moments after they came to know about the potential fatality due to the blaze, they called their office in the Model Town area of Delhi and asked the staff to book tickets to Thailand. They instructed their aide Bharat Kohli to go to the office and collect some documents and drop them at their Mukherjee Nagar residence.

Also Read: Goa cracks down on nightclubs ahead of Christmas, New Year after deadly fire

Subsequently, the Luthra brothers went to their home from the wedding venue, and within hours they were onboard an IndiGo flight to Phuket, stated the report.

The investigators are now trying to find answers to several questions, including why the Luthra brothers chose Thailand and are hopeful that their deportation will likely throw light on these issues. The report further stated that one of the Luthra brothers had a long-term UK visa.

Ajay Gupta fled to Delhi

While the Luthra brothers were flying out of Delhi, their business associate Ajay Gupta was boarding a flight to the national capital. Gupta, who had earlier described himself as a “silent partner”, emerged during the investigation as the most hands-on among the club’s owners.

Also Read: Goa nightclub fire: 'Landowner' alleges illegal zone change to benefit Birch by Romeo Lane

Investigators said Gupta was in Goa when the fire broke out. He was woken up by a phone call from the club’s manager, Priyanshu, who has since been arrested. After learning about the blaze, Gupta left for the airport and took a Delhi-bound flight from Dabolim. Once back in the capital, he went to his Gurugram residence and later drove out in a Toyota Innova with his driver.

Gupta’s mobile phone was switched off, but police tracked the phone of his driver and located him at the Institute of Brain and Spine in Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar. Investigators said Gupta had contacts within the hospital’s management and got himself admitted there in an attempt to avoid arrest. The move failed, and police reached the hospital, dismissed his claim of illness and took him into custody.

Multiple safety lapses at nightclub

The probe into the blaze has also brought out how repeated safety violations turned the nightclub into a death trap. Investigators found that the club lacked working fire extinguishers and alarm systems, while the approach road was too narrow for fire tenders. There was also no emergency exit.

Also Read: Fireworks banned at North Goa nightclubs, hotels after blaze kills 25

According to the FIR registered after the incident, the establishment was operating without the required permissions and licences. The investigation has found that despite multiple warnings, the management failed to address the safety shortcomings.

Officials have further stated that the intervention of a former IPS officer had earlier helped get a case against ‘Birch By Romeo Lane’ closed, which, they believe, encouraged the owners to continue ignoring safety norms. What followed was a disaster waiting to happen, one that ultimately claimed 25 lives.