Saurabh And Gaurav Luthra, Owners Of Goa Club, Fled To Phuket Within 5 Hours Of Tragedy | India News

Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, the absconding proprietors of a Goa nightclub where 25 people lost their lives in a devastating fire, are believed to have fled to Phuket, Thailand, managing their escape within five hours of the blaze, a Goa Police official said on Monday.

As the Goa Police continued their search for the brothers without success, a police team past notices outside their residences in Delhi. The authorities have also approached the CBI to request an Interpol notice against the owners of Birch by Romeo Lane, who boarded an IndiGo flight to Phuket at 5.30 am on Sunday to evade arrest and questioning following the midnight inferno. A Lookout Circular for the Luthra brothers was issued later that evening, several hours after they departed for Thailand.

On Monday, Goa Police secured the transit remand of accused Bharat Kohli from Delhi and will bring him to the state where the tragedy occurred.

An official from Anjuna Police Station confirmed that post-mortem examinations of the victims were completed on Monday, after which the bodies were handed over to their families. The fire claimed 25 lives, including four tourists and 14 staff members, while the identities of seven others remain unverified. Six individuals were injured and are currently receiving treatment.

The nightclub, located near the Arpora River backwaters, had a narrow entrance and exit, one of the factors that prevented people from escaping quickly, a police official noted. The blaze broke out around midnight on Sunday at the popular Baga-area venue, which frequently draws large crowds due to its proximity to one of Goa’s busiest beaches.

Four individuals arrested in connection with the incident were presented before the Bardez District Court late on Sunday night, where all four managers were remanded to six days’ police custody. They are being held at the Anjuna Police Station lock-up and were interrogated for nearly eight hours regarding the circumstances of the fire and the missing owners’ whereabouts.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his distress over the tragedy on Sunday and announced an ex gratia payment of ₹2 lakh for the families of each deceased person and ₹50,000 for those injured.

Police officials suspect the fire may have been triggered by a cylinder explosion inside the premises.

(With IANS inputs)