goa Nightclub Fire: Owners Fled Country Hours After Tragedy, Police Say
Goa police confirmed Monday that the owners of Birch by Romeo Lane, the nightclub where a devastating fire killed 25 people, departed India just hours after the blaze erupted. The swift exit raises questions about potential attempts to evade inquiry,according to law enforcement officials.
The fire, which occurred past midnight at the north Goa venue, claimed the lives of 20 staff members and five tourists, including four from Delhi. Authorities completed autopsies and have sence returned all the bodies to their families.
shortly after a First facts Report (FIR) was registered, a police team was dispatched to New Delhi to search the residences of brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, identified as the owners of birch and Romeo Lane. Though, both homes were found locked with notices posted, and immigration checks revealed the brothers boarded a 5:30 am flight to Phuket, Thailand.
“Their departure immediately after the incident indicates intent to evade investigation,” a senior officer stated to the Press Trust of India (PTI).
A Look Out Circular was issued on December 7, and police are now collaborating with the CBI’s Interpol Division to locate and detain the luthra brothers. Even as the manhunt intensified, an Instagram statement attributed to owner Saurabh Luthra surfaced online. In the post, Luthra expressed being “deeply shaken by the tragic loss of lives” and offered solidarity to the families of the deceased and injured. he also pledged the establishment would provide “every possible form of assistance, support and cooperation.”
Meanwhile, four staff members – the chief general manager, general manager, bar manager, and gate manager – have been arrested and are currently in police custody. FIRs have also been filed against the Luthra brothers.
The Goa government has responded to the tragedy by ordering a magisterial inquiry and establishing a multi-agency committee to investigate procedural lapses. A report detailing these findings is expected within one week.
Initial reports suggest potential safety violations contributed to the high death toll. News agency PTI reported that the club had “deadly design errors,” with only one exit functioning at the time of the fire, trapping dozens inside.
Why did this happen? A fire broke out at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in North Goa past midnight on December 6th. Who was involved? The fire claimed the lives of 25 people – 20 staff members and five tourists, including four from Delhi.The owners, brothers Saurabh and Gaurav luthra, are now the focus of a police investigation. What were the circumstances? Initial reports point to safety violations,specifically a lack of functioning emergency exits,as contributing factors to the high death toll.How did it end? The Luthra brothers fled India hours after the fire, boarding a flight to Phuket, Thailand, prompting a nationwide and international manhunt led by Goa police and Interpol. Four staff members have been arrested, and a government inquiry is underway to determine the extent of procedural lapses.
