‘Will get lynched in Goa’: Luthra brothers tell Delhi court in nightclub fire case
Birch nightclub owners Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra tell Delhi court they fear lynching in Goa as bail plea in nightclub fire case is rejected
The owners of the Goa nightclub, Birch by Romeo Lane, where a fire took 25 lives, Gaurav (44) and Saurabh (40) Luthra have told a Delhi Court that they fear being “lynched in Goa” in their bail application.
The Lurhra brothers, in their anticipatory bail plea at the Rohini court in Delhi on Thursday (December 11), stated that they would face “irremediable and irreversible prejudice” if not granted bail.
“There is a direct threat to my safety. I will be lynched in Goa. My other restaurants have been bulldozed straight away…We will join the investigation…I shall be prosecuted but not persecuted," argued one of the Luthra brothers through their lawyer, as quoted by the Hindustan Times.
The lawyer further argued that the court should not “punish them at the threshold”, adding that the brothers had approached the Delhi court at the earliest possible time and were ready to join the probe. If I land in India tonight and the investigating officer tells me to appear at midnight, I will be there,” said the lawyer on behalf of his client.
Court rejects argument
However, additional sessions judge Vandana rejected the argument, saying that “the nature of offence, prima facie, is grave and serious in nature.”
The judge also pointed out that documents regarding the flight taken by the accused persons showed that they booked the tickets on December 7 at 1.17 am and the flight departed 5.20 am later in the day. The judge said that the fact was “concealed” as the lawyer stated that the accused left for Phuket before the fire at the nightclub.
Also Read: Luthras' detention reignites questions over Goa’s unsafe, illegal nightlife
The court noted that documents submitted by the accused along with the application showed that the license agreement, trade license and lease deed had already expired for the nightclub.
‘ No relief on medical grounds’
The judge also struck down the argument for relief on medical grounds, such as “a seizure disorder” and hypertension, cited in Gaurav Luthra's plea, stating that the “medical documents are old documents which do not reflect any serious medical conditions, which may entitle the applicant to the (interim) relief.”
The court also rejected the argument that there was an “immediate threat” to the lives of the accused, stating that “the action taken by the investigating authority or by the court, as per law, cannot be said to be an apprehension of threat to life.”
Also Read: Fireworks banned at North Goa nightclubs, hotels after blaze kills 25
"Without expressing any opinion on the merits or veracity of the allegations, this court finds no ground to entertain the present application(s) seeking transit anticipatory bail and to suspend the look out notice (LOC)," stated the judge.
“They left, they concealed, and they are now seeking leniency.” Referring to judicial observations. “Once it is shown that a person is attempting to evade the process of law, the court should not come to his aid at all,” the State of Goa counsel told the court.