On December 6, a devastating fire broke out in the Birch by Romeo nightclub in Goa's Arpora region, leading to the tragic demise of 25 individuals and injuring many others. Both club founders, the Luthra brothers, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, were identified as the prime suspects. They are now under custody in Phuket, a prominent Thai city, awaiting extradition to India by the Goa police.
Mere hours after the fire, the Luthra brothers escaped on an Indigo flight from Delhi to Thailand. Subsequently, look-out notices and Interpol Blue Notices were issued. Sources confirm that a Goa police team is heading to Thailand to take them into custody and ensure they stand trial in India.
Exclusive visuals on their arrest, as obtained by India Today, unveil the Phuket detention center where the Luthra brothers await deportation to India.
Source: aajtak
One startling image features one of the brothers handcuffed, standing in front of Thai authorities.
Source: aajtak
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The Indigo Escape...
Amidst nationwide turmoil over canceled and delayed flights, suspicions arose from the brothers' escape. It was later revealed by police that they booked a flight to Thailand on December 7 at 1.17 AM, amid intensified rescue efforts by firefighters and police at their burning nightclub.
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Legal Maneuvers...
Fearing arrest, the brothers refused to return to India, petitioning for pre-arrest bail in Delhi's Rohini Court. They asserted they were not involved in daily operations at the Arpora club and deemed the actions against them retaliatory. They further insisted that their Thailand business trip wasn't an escape but a preplanned meeting.
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Accusations of Negligence
According to the FIR by Goa police, essential fire safety equipment, alarms, extinguishers, and audit records were missing from Birch by Romeo Lane, contradicting basic safety protocols. Moreover, the police noted that the owners, managers, partners, event organizers, and senior staff acted with 'disregard and negligence' despite knowing the deadly risks, thus perpetuating a fire hazard at the venue. The FIR details the absence of emergency exits on both the deck and ground floors of the nightclub, trapping guests in the inferno.
