Goa nightclub fire: ‘While rescuers battled the blaze, Luthra brothers were busy booking flights out of India’

Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra — the owners of Goa’s Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub where a devastating fire claimed at least 25 lives — allegedly booked their flight tickets even before firefighters managed to bring the flames under control.

According to news agency ANI, investigators said the brothers purchased tickets to leave the country while Goa Police and Goa Fire Services were still trying to extinguish the blaze and pull people out of the burning restaurant.

ANI reported that the owners made their bookings to Thailand via MakeMyTrip at 1:17 am on December 7.


Meanwhile, a Delhi court declined to grant the Luthra brothers interim protection and scheduled their request for transit anticipatory bail for the next day. Additional Sessions Judge Vandana sought a response from Goa authorities before taking up the matter again on Thursday.

The brothers have requested four weeks of transit anticipatory bail to avoid immediate arrest upon their return from Thailand, along with temporary protection from being taken into custody.

Saurabh and Gaurav, the key proprietors of the Arpora-based nightclub, had flown to Phuket shortly after the December 6 tragedy. Interpol has already issued a Blue Corner Notice for their whereabouts.

Earlier, a Look Out Circular was issued for Ajay Gupta — another co-owner — after police couldn’t locate him at his Delhi residence. He was later detained, and officials say he will be arrested once procedures to bring him to Goa are completed.

Police have also issued an LOC against another partner, Surinder Kumar Khosla, a British national.

So far, five staff members have been arrested: chief general manager Rajiv Modak, general manager Vivek Singh, bar manager Rajiv Singhania, gate manager Riyanshu Thakur, and employee Bharat Kohli.

The fire broke out around midnight on December 6 at the nightclub in Arpora, North Goa, claiming 25 lives. On Wednesday, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant ordered a magistrate-level inquiry into the incident.