The Aryavarth Express
Mapusa (Goa): The Mapusa Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Court on Friday extended the police custody of Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra till December 29 in connection with the deadly fire at the ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ nightclub in North Goa.
The Luthra brothers, co-owners of the nightclub, were arrested following the December 6 fire incident at the Arpora-based venue, which claimed 25 lives and left several others injured. Their police custody had earlier been extended by the JMFC court as the investigation progressed.
In the same proceedings, the court remanded Ajay Gupta, the third partner of Birch by Romeo Lane, to 14 days of judicial custody.
The brothers were brought to Goa from Delhi on December 16 after being deported from Thailand. Upon their arrival at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, a Delhi court granted the Goa Police a 48-hour transit remand. They were formally arrested at the Delhi airport and produced before the Mapusa JMFC court on December 17, which granted five days of police custody at the time.
Advocate Vishnu Joshi, representing the families of the victims, said that fresh developments have emerged during the investigation. According to the police, the trade licence and other related documents submitted by the accused were allegedly forged.
The fire, which broke out during a fireworks event at the nightclub, triggered widespread outrage and led the Goa government to initiate criminal proceedings against the club owners for alleged negligence and violation of mandatory safety norms. Police have stated that the event was organised without proper fire safety equipment and other essential safety measures.
Investigators have maintained that custodial interrogation of the accused in Goa is crucial at this critical stage of the probe. In submissions before the Patiala House Court earlier, the Goa Police said the Luthra brothers were the principal owners and partners of the club and had complete control over its operations, including safety arrangements, permissions, and events conducted at the premises.
Police further alleged that despite being aware of the absence of emergency exit doors on the ground and deck floors, the accused went ahead with organising the fire show.
A criminal case was registered on December 7 at the Arpora-Anjuna Police Station in North Goa under Sections 105, 125, 125(a), 125(b), and 287, read with Section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
