Luthra Brothers Knew Risks, Still Allowed Fireworks at Goa Club: Police to Court

The Luthra brothers knowingly allowed and organised fireworks inside their Goa nightclub—despite being aware of the serious fire risks—leading to a blaze that killed 25 people on December 6, the Goa Police told a local court on Wednesday.

Police said the owners permitted the high-risk activity without putting in place any safety measures, even though they knew it could result in loss of life. Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, co-owners of Birch by Romeo Lane, were produced before a court in Mapusa after being brought to Goa from Delhi earlier in the day. The brothers were deported from Thailand and underwent medical examinations at the District Hospital in North Goa before being presented in court.

The court remanded the accused to five days of police custody.

Fled country after fire

According to investigators, the Luthra brothers fled to Phuket in Thailand in the early hours of December 7, just hours after the fire. Authorities subsequently issued an Interpol Blue Corner Notice and cancelled their passports. The duo was detained by Thai authorities in Phuket on December 11 following a request from the Indian government and later deported under bilateral legal provisions.

They were arrested on Tuesday immediately after landing in Delhi, where a court granted the Goa Police a two-day transit remand.

A police team then brought them to Manohar International Airport, Mopa, in North Goa on Wednesday morning. After medical examinations at a Primary Health Centre in Siolim and later at the District Hospital in Mapusa, the brothers were taken to the Anjuna police station and produced before the court.

FIR flags serious safety violations

The Goa Police’s first information report (FIR) highlighted multiple lapses at the nightclub. It stated that the fireworks display was conducted without mandatory permissions or safety precautions. The fire reportedly broke out on the first floor of the club, while overcrowding and narrow exits prevented patrons from escaping.

“The restaurant did not have any emergency exit on the ground or deck floor to evacuate people in case of emergency,” the FIR said. Investigators also found that the club had no fire extinguishers, sprinklers, alarms or smoke-extraction systems, and that no fire audit had been conducted prior to operations.

The FIR has been registered under Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 125, 125(a), 125(b) and 287 (negligent conduct with respect to fire) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita.

Arrests so far

Following the deadly fire at Arpora village, the Anjuna Police registered a case against the Luthra brothers and others linked to the club’s operations. Five managers and staff members have already been arrested in connection with the case.