A devastating fire broke out in a Goa nightclub over the weekend — killing 25 people and leaving several others injured. The police have since arrested three staff members and launched a manhunt to nab the owners. But as officials raided the addresses linked to Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, they had already flown out of the country. The Birch owners took an IndiGo flight to Thailand mere hours after tragedy struck on Saturday night.
Early morning escape to Phuket
A statement by the Goa Police explained that the Luthra brothers fled to Phuket by 5:30 am on Sunday. The development came to light after a police team was dispatched to conduct raids in Delhi — eventually pasting a notice on the gate of their house. Immigration records subsequently confirmed that they had departed via IndiGo flight 6E 1073.
“Soon after the institution of an FIR, police moved swiftly and dispatched a team to Delhi to conduct raids on the addresses of the accused Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra. Since they were not available, a notice under the appropriate sections of law was pasted on their house. By the evening of December 7, a lookout circular was issued against them by the Bureau of Immigration at the request of the Goa police,” a senior officer told Indian Express.
The authorities have now sought the help of Interpol to trace and arrest the promoters. A senior official also told PTI that their swift exit showed “intent to avoid the police investigation”. The Goa Police are now working in coordination with the Interpol Division of CBI to apprehend Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra.
Key staffers arrested
The police have so far arrested Bharat Kohli — a key member of the operational staff — from Delhi after obtaining his transit remand. So far, the club’s Chief General Manager Rajiv Modak, General Manager Vivek Singh, Bar Manager Rajiv Singhania, and Gate Manager Riyanshu Thakur have been arrested. The Goa Police team had also visited the house of Gaurav and Saurabh Lutha in Delhi and questioned their family members earlier on Monday.
Police investigations so far have indicated multiple irregularities at the entertainment venue, including the absence of a No Objection Certificate from the fire department and the issuance of a licence without proper documentation. Fire officials had earlier indicated that the club — located on the backwater of the Arpora river — had small exit doors connected only by a narrow bridge. This had severely hampered the escape of people during the blaze.
Saurabh Luthra goes online
Even as police conducted searches to trace him, Saurabh Luthra used social media on Monday to express “profound grief” and vowed to provide assistance, support, and cooperation to the victims’ families in “every possible form”.
“The management expresses profound grief and is deeply shaken by the tragic loss of lives resulting from the unfortunate incident at Birch,” Saurabh Luthra said in his post on Instagram.
He said the management further affirms that it shall extend every possible “form of assistance, support and cooperation to the bereaved and affected individuals, as they navigate through this period of immense anguish and adversity.” The Goa government on Monday constituted a four-member magisterial inquiry committee to ascertain the facts and circumstances that led up to the massive fire at the nightclub.
According to officials, fireworks have emerged as the likely cause of the blaze at the popular party venue in Arpora village, 25 km from Panaji.
(With inputs from agencies)