NEW DELHI: Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, owners of Birch by Romeo Lane have approached a Delhi court seeking four weeks of transit anticipatory bail, claiming they are willing to return to India and cooperate with the investigation in to the Goa nightclub blaze that claimed 25 lives.
The plea was moved in Delhi’s Rohini court on Wednesday through which the brothers claimed they had travelled to Thailand for work and not to escape the law. “We want to come back,” The Luthras stated through their counsel. They also argued that they do not oversee daily operations at the Arpora club.
Councel for accused said that the Luthras are only licensees and not owner of the nightclub. Stating that LOCs have been opened against the Luthras, the senior counsel said, “I just want to come back and take my legal remedies. My learned friend (state counsel) surely cannot oppose my legal remedies.”
The court has sought a response from Goa Police and granted time to file a reply. The matter will be taken up tomorrow at noon.
Meanwhile, a beach shack owned by the brothers who also operate the Arpora nightclub, where a devastating fire killed 25 people last week, is set to be demolished, according to several reports quoting Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.
Officials said bulldozers will raze 'Romeo Lane' in Vagator, after the restaurant, allegedly constructed on government-owned land, was sealed by authorities.
The investigation continues to focus on the tragic fire at 'Birch by Romeo Lane'. Addressing allegations of police negligence, Goa DIG Varsha Sharma said, "We have coordinated with the CBI and Interpol. A Blue Corner Notice has also been issued."
According to police sources, on December 7, within hours of the deadly blaze, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra boarded a flight from Delhi to Phuket, Thailand. Interpol has issued a Blue Corner Notice against both brothers to help locate and provisionally detain them pending extradition proceedings.
Goa Police on Wednesday brought Ajay Gupta, one of the four owners of the 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub, to the Sunlight Colony Crime Branch office in connection with the recent North Goa fire tragedy that claimed 25 lives at the restaurant-cum-bar.
Gupta is presented in court today as part of the ongoing investigation.
The development comes days after the massive blaze broke out in the early hours of Sunday at a nightclub in Arpora, triggering a high-casualty incident and killing at least 25 people, most of whom were staff of the restaurant. The Government of Goa formed a committee to investigate the incident.
A Lookout Circular (LOC) had earlier been issued against Gupta. When the police team visited his residence in Delhi, he was found to be absconding; a non-bailable arrest warrant was subsequently issued against him.
The district administration demolished part of the Romeo Lane restaurant in Vagator, Goa. The restaurant is owned by Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra, who also own Birch by Romeo Lane.
The brothers fled to Thailand after the fire, which claimed 25 lives, and are now being tracked by international authorities.
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