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Goa nightclub fire: No immediate relief from court to Birch owners Luthra brothers, they cry 'witch-hunt'
Goa nightclub fire: Luthra brothers, owners of Birch by Romeo Lane, argued that the state is indulging in a ‘witch-hunt’.
A Delhi’s court on Wednesday refused immediate interim relief to Luthra brothers - Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra - owners of Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub in Goa which caught fire and killed at least 25 people on weekend.
The Rohini Court of Delhi sought a response from the Goa government on the transit anticipatory bail filed by the Luthra brothers accused in the nightclub fire.
The matter was listed for Thursday, December 11.
Represented by senior advocates Sidharth Luthra and Tanvir Ahmed Mir, Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra said that they seek protection to come back to India and approach the courts in Goa for further relief as they apprehend arrest after landing in Delhi, HT leant.
They argued that culpability of the incident cannot be attributed to them as local managers of the club have already been arrested and the state is indulging in a ‘witch-hunt’ as they are not owners of the club in question and only licensees.
Luthra brothers in Thailand
Indian agencies are in touch with the Thai authorities to geo-locate Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra in Thailand's Phuket and get them deported based on an arrest warrant as soon as possible instead of going through the cumbersome extradition process, HT earlier reported, citing people familiar with the development.
Officials are positive on tracing Luthras, given the friendly relations between Indian and Thai agencies in criminal matters. Officials feel the Luthra brothers will be brought back soon, considering several fugitives have been brought from Bangkok in the past decade.
The Delhi-based entrepreneurs fled to Phuket on an IndiGo flight at 5.30 am on Sunday, roughly six hours after the fire at the club they owned in north Goa killed 25 people amid allegations of mismanagement and violation of safety norms, a separate HT report quoted police as saying on Monday.
Goa police failed to find the brothers at their residence in north Delhi on Monday and later said that they fled to Phuket at 5.30 am via an IndiGo flight.
The Goa police had issued a lookout notice against the brothers with the Bureau of Immigration at Mumbai on Sunday evening.
“The Bureau of Immigration at Mumbai was contacted and it was found that both the accused had taken 6E 1073 flight (New Delhi to Phuket) at 5.30am on 7th December i.e. immediately after the incident which had taken place around midnight. It shows their intent to avoid police investigation,” deputy superintendent of police and public relations officer Nilesh Rane was quoted as saying in the report.
