Goa Nightclub Fire: Luthra Brothers Allowed Fireworks Despite Known Risks, Police Tell Court

The Luthra brothers knowingly permitted and organised fireworks inside their Goa nightclub—where a blaze killed 25 people on December 6—without putting any safety measures in place, the Goa Police told a local court on Wednesday.

Police said the owners were fully aware that indoor fireworks posed serious fire hazards and carried a high risk of loss of life. Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, co-owners of Birch by Romeo Lane, were produced before a court in Mapusa after being brought to Goa from Delhi earlier in the day. The brothers had been deported from Thailand and underwent medical examinations at the District Hospital in North Goa before being presented in court.

The court remanded the accused to five days of police custody.

Fled to Thailand after fire

According to investigators, the Luthra brothers fled to Phuket in Thailand in the early hours of December 7, just hours after the deadly fire at their nightclub. Following this, authorities issued an Interpol Blue Corner Notice and cancelled their passports.

Thai authorities detained the duo in Phuket on December 11 after a request from the Indian government. They were subsequently deported under legal treaties between India and Thailand.

The brothers were arrested on Tuesday immediately after landing in Delhi. A court there granted the Goa Police a two-day transit remand.

A Goa Police team arrived with the accused at Manohar International Airport, Mopa, in North Goa at around 10.45 am on Wednesday. The duo was first taken to a Primary Health Centre in Siolim and later to the District Hospital in Mapusa for medical examination. After their health assessment, they were taken to the Anjuna police station and subsequently produced before the court.

FIR details lapses at nightclub

In its first information report (FIR), the Goa Police flagged multiple safety violations at the nightclub.

The FIR stated that the fire performance was conducted without mandatory permissions and without basic safety precautions. The fire reportedly broke out on the first floor of the club, while overcrowding and narrow exits prevented patrons from evacuating in time.

“The restaurant did not have an emergency exit on the ground or deck floor to evacuate people in case of emergency,” the FIR noted.

Investigators also found that the venue lacked fire extinguishers, sprinklers, fire alarms and smoke-extraction systems. No fire audit had been conducted before the club began operations, making it a serious fire hazard, police said.

The FIR has been registered under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 125, 125(a), 125(b), and 287 (negligent conduct with respect to fire) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita.

Arrests so far

Following the tragedy at Arpora village, the Anjuna Police registered a case against the Luthra brothers and others involved in the club’s operations. Five managers and staff members have already been arrested in connection with the fire.