PANAJI/MAPUSA
Goa Police on Monday said that Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, the owners of Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora where a devastating fire claimed 25 lives, fled to Phuket within hours of the incident and are now absconding. Officials asserted that the duo are not cooperating with the probe, which was evident through this act and they fled even before police reached Delhi to nab them.
In the update shared with media, police said they despatched a team to Delhi soon after an FIR was registered in the case and raids were conducted at the Delhi residences of the two brothers, but they were not found.
"Since they were not available, a notice under appropriate sections of law was pasted on their house,” the press note stated.
By the evening of December 7, a Look Out Circular was issued against both men by the Bureau of Immigration at the request of Goa Police.
Subsequent checks with immigration authorities in Mumbai showed that the accused had boarded the 6E 1073 flight to Phuket at 5.30 am on December 7 -- barely hours after the massive fire broke out around midnight.
“It shows their intent to avoid police investigation,” police said, adding that coordination with the Interpol Division of the CBI has been initiated to secure their detention abroad.
Meanwhile, the investigation into the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub fire intensified on Monday with police making a fifth arrest in the case.
The latest accused, Bharat Karan Singh Kohli (49) of Delhi, was taken into custody for allegedly overseeing the club’s day-to-day operations on behalf of the owners.
A senior police officer confirmed that a team has already been dispatched to Delhi.
“Officials involved in issuing permits and licences to the club have also been summoned for questioning to verify compliance lapses and procedural violations,” the officer said, indicating that the scope of the investigation now extends to possible regulatory failures.
Earlier, a Mapusa court remanded the four senior managers, arrested on Sunday, to six days of police custody.
The arrested managers include: Rajiv Modak (49) – Chief General Manager, Priyanshu Thakur (32) – Gate Manager, Rajveer Singhania (32) – Bar Manager and Vivek Singh (27) – General Manager.
Police are examining the club’s operational practices, structural modifications, safety compliance and licensing history as part of the widening probe.
