The Luthra brothers, owners of Birch nightclub, face harsh lock-up conditions in Goa as police investigate the devastating fire that killed 25 people. Their custody highlights serious safety lapses and alleged negligence.
Goa nightclub owners Saurabh Luthra and his brother Gaurav are spending their days in a police lock-up after the North Goa Sessions court on Monday sent them in 5 days custody. Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra own the now defunct Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora. The order for custody came a day after their arrest and it is part of the crackdown by the Goa police to bring to light the reasons that caused a major fire in the club, leaving 25 people dead on December 6.
Both the brothers are now behind bars in an Anjuna police lock-up where they are facing the harsh realities of a life without luxury. Reports suggest that their cell at the lock-up is bare, with no fan, mattress or blanket. The brothers are now surviving on simple food like dal, rice and pickle. Speaking to the media, the lawyers of Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, have sought intervention by the courts as the conditions in which they were being kept were unfit for human beings.
Reports have also suggested that even as Saurabh and Gaurav were used to a lavish lifestyle, both of them were being quizzed, grilled and interrogated as an accused. A well-known name in the Goa nightlife circuit, Saurabh Luthra with his brother Gaurav has now come under the radar of a serious investigation into one of the most gruesome incidents in recent times in the state.
Reports reveal that the Goa Police have been questioning both the brothers for the past few days and sources claim that the police have even put up more than 80 questions to the owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub. Questions pertaining to details about their business model, decision-making, operations, finances, involvement of business partners and event organisers in the nightclub have been put to Saurabh and Gaurav.
The lawyers of Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra had even submitted a petition before the court for a mattress and a few other requirements as Saurabh had a spinal disc issue and Gaurav was suffering from a tailbone fracture. A judge on Monday declared both of them fit and refused to grant any of their demands after a medical check-up.
Following their arrest, the brothers had come under the scanner for a few of their activities after the December 6 fire. Police sources have confirmed that the two had booked tickets to Thailand on the night of the fire. Reports revealed that both Saurabh and Gaurav were then in Thailand and attempted to leave the country in an emergency after the fire. The Goa Police have now stepped in and after initial refusals to the order, both of them were deported from Thailand to India and were formally arrested in Delhi and later sent to Goa.
The Goa nightclub fire in December left behind a number of concerns as to safety and other measures that were taken by management and owners of various popular night clubs and bars in the state. Reports that have since come in have revealed that the authorities have failed to verify basic licence renewal and fire safety clearance was in place for the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub. Points of neglect, unauthorised alterations, over-crowding, security and fire safety violations are all things that are being looked at by the authorities.
On December 6, fire broke out in the basement club area in Birch by Romeo Lane and in a matter of hours, it engulfed the entire club area. In a major tragedy, 25 people lost their lives and more than 50 were injured. One of the main areas of interest for the investigators is determining if there was any level of negligence that was the main cause of the fire. Both Saurabh and Gaurav face charges of culpable homicide and negligence and further arrests, remands and searches in connection to the Goa nightclub fire are likely to be made.
