PANAJI: Rohini court in Delhi today reserved its order on the anticipatory bail pleas filed by Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, co-owners of the Birch nightclub in Arpora, where a fire on December 6 claimed 25 lives. The order will be pronounced at 5 pm today.
During the hearing, the Goa Police strongly opposed the pleas, saying the brothers had not cooperated with the investigation, misled authorities about their travel dates, and left for Thailand without any legitimate business purpose, despite being key signatories of the club. The police added that the Panchayat licence for the establishment had expired and was never renewed.
The prosecution argued that the Luthras reported leaving India on the night of December 6, whereas immigration records show they flew out on December 7, a conduct that misled the court and authorities. Goa Police also dismissed the medical grounds cited by the accused as “bogus”, saying the patient in question was never examined by a doctor.
Blue Corner Notices issued against the brothers also allege they hosted a fire show without safety measures, leading to the blaze, and that the club lacked emergency exits and valid permissions.
Senior advocate Tanvir Ahmed Mir, appearing for the Luthras, countered that the FIR attributes the tragedy to negligence and not homicide. He said the applicants were facing threats on social media and had approached the court for protection of life and liberty.
Mir argued the brothers were not absconders, received no notice to join the investigation before warrants were issued, and were ready to cooperate. Their travel to Phuket, he said, had been pre-planned for an event. He added that the men manage 40 restaurants across India and cannot be physically present everywhere, asserting that an arrest cannot be made in rage or vengeance.
Amid the ongoing deportation process, central agencies and the Goa Police are expected to fly the Luthra brothers to Delhi first, before bringing them to Goa for prosecution.
