Romeo Lane nightclub fire: First photos of Luthras brothers at Delhi airport being taken to Goa

DELHI/ GAO: Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Goa’s Arpora, are being taken to Goa by police on Wednesday from Delhi’s IGI Airport. The brothers, who face charges of culpable homicide and negligence, were brought back to India on an IndiGo flight on yesterday.

They were produced before Patiala House Court, which granted the Goa Police a two-day transit remand, allowing them to take the accused to Goa for further investigation. The Luthras had fled India on 7 December, hours after the blaze at their nightclub. They were staying at the Indigo hotel in Phuket when Thai authorities detained them for illegal stay. A special Indian police team travelled to Thailand to complete their deportation.

With their passports suspended by the Indian government, the Indian embassy in Thailand issued an emergency travel certificate for their return. Goa Police have already arrested several staff members and associates of the nightclub, including partner Ajay Gupta, chief general manager Rajiv Modak, gate manager Priyanshu Thakur, bar manager Rajveer Singhania, general manager Vivek Singh, and Bharat Kohli. Preliminary investigations by police and the fire services directorate indicate the fire was triggered when electric firecrackers ignited the wooden ceiling during an event attended by over 150 guests on the night of 6 December. Authorities continue to probe safety lapses and other responsibilities connected to the tragedy.