Goa nightclub fire: Owners fled to Phuket hours after blaze that killed 25

The main accused in the Goa nightclub fire- Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, the owners of the nightclub where a massive fire led to the death of 25 people- fled to Phuket hours after the incident.

Elaborating further, a senior officer of the Goa Police said that they have got in touch with the Interpol Division of the CBI to trace the owners of the nightclub.

"Goa Police have taken further steps to coordinate with the Interpol Division of the CBI to apprehend both Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra at the earliest," the officer said.

A massive fire at the nightclub, some 25 km away from Panaji, on late Saturday night killed 25 persons. The deceased comprised 20 employees of the nightclub and five tourists, including four from Delhi. Five injured people were undergoing treatment at the government-run Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH).

Look Out Circular issued

After registering an FIR against them, a Look Out Circular was issued against them by December 7 by the Bureau of Intelligence (BOI) at the request of the Goa Police.

Also Read: Who is Saurabh Luthra, co-owner of Goa nightclub where fire claimed 25 lives?

The Bureau of Immigration at Mumbai was contacted, and it was found that both the accused had taken the 6E 1073 flight to Phuket at 5.30 am on December 7, immediately after the fire incident, which occurred around midnight, the officer said.

He said the Goa Police had immediately dispatched a team to Delhi to conduct raids on the addresses of the accused Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra.

Accused avoiding investigation’

"Since they were not available, a notice under the appropriate sections of law was pasted on the gate of their house. This shows their intent to avoid the police investigation", he said.

Also Read: Goa nightclub fire: Owner breaks silence as police issue lookout notice

Goa Police have obtained transit remand of Bharat Kohli, an employee of the club, and are bringing him to Goa.

He also said that the postmortem on all 25 deceased has been completed and bodies handed over to their families.

‘Government officials quizzed’

Officials from several government departments responsible for granting the club’s licenses and permits have been called in for questioning as investigators look into possible compliance failures and breaches of procedure. Police stated that the probe is being pursued on priority and that subsequent steps will be determined once the inquiry yields clearer findings, reported NDTV.

Also Read: Goa nightclub fire: Narrow exits, palm decor, no fire safety norms led to city's deadliest disaster

Separately, the Goa administration has suspended Shamila Monteiro — the Director of Fisheries and former Member Secretary of the Goa State Pollution Control Board — over alleged regulatory shortcomings, an official said.

(With agency inputs)