Goa Night Club Fire: Owners Flee to Thailand, Five Arrested

New Delhi: The owners of the Goa night club where 25 people died in a fire on Saturday night (December 6) have reportedly fled to Thailand, the Goa police said in a statement.

Delhi-based Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, the owners of Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora, allegedly boarded a plane to Phuket at 5:30 am on Sunday, hours after the fire at their club, the police said.

The police have contacted the Interpol Division of the Central Bureau of Investigation to nab the two brothers.

“Soon after the institution of an FIR, police moved swiftly and dispatched a team to Delhi to conduct raids on the addresses of the accused Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra. Since they were not available, a notice under the appropriate sections of law was pasted on their house. By the evening of December 7 (Sunday), a lookout circular (LOC) was issued against them by the Bureau of Immigration at the request of the Goa Police,” the statement said.

The two brothers were in Delhi at the time of the incident. When the Bureau of Immigration at Mumbai was contacted, it was found that the two had left the country.

The Indian Express has reported, citing anonymous sources, that the CBI could urge the Interpol to issue a Blue notice against the brothers. A blue notice is used to collect additional information about a person’s identity, location or activities in relation to a criminal investigation.            

Saurabh issued a statement expressing grief on Instagram on Monday. “The management expresses profound grief and is deeply shaken by the tragic loss of lives resulting from the unfortunate incident at Birch. In this hour of irreparable sorrow and overwhelming distress, the management stands in unwavering solidarity with the families of the deceased as well as those injured… The management further affirms that it shall extend every possible form of assistance, support and cooperation to the bereaved and affected individuals,” the statement said. 

The club’s chief general manager, Rajiv Modak, gate manager Priyanshu Thakur, bar manager Rajveer Singhania, and general manager Vivek Singh were arrested on Sunday while Bharat Singh, who ran daily operations at the club, was arrested on Monday.

Lapses

Non-compliance with fire safety norms including the absence of fire safety equipment, emergency exit at the night club, and the lack of required permissions and licences have been noted in the FIR against the duo.

Goa chief minister’s office (CMO) on Monday said that the sarpanch of Arpora village had signed no objection certificates (NoCs) for various amenities and issued a trade license to the outlet. 

“The premises continued to run after the expiry of the trade licence (in) March 2024. Under Section 72-A of the Goa Panchayat Raj Act, the local body is empowered to seal such premises. However, they failed to do so.” 

The panchayat officials, however, said that their orders to demolish the night club had been stayed by a higher authority.

The CMO also said that two other properties by the name ‘Romeo Lane’ had been sealed and their documents were being scrutinised. The mortal remains of 20 of the deceased had been identified and sent to their native places, the statement added.

The Goa State Disaster Management Authority has issued an advisory to all nightclubs, restaurants, bars, event venues, and similar establishments operating within the state, to ensure compliance with all safety norms.

All such establishments have been asked to conduct an internal safety audit within seven days and prepare a report for inspection by the district administration, fire services, or SDMA-authorised teams.

A magisterial inquiry by a four-member committee headed by Collector, North, Ankit Yadav, is also underway and is expected to submit its report in a week.

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