Goa nightclub fire: Luthras brothers’ police custody ends today; cops likely to seek extension

Panaji: Anjuna police are likely to seek a few more days of police custody for Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, the owners of Birch by Romeo Lane at Arpora, where 25 people died in a fire on Dec 6. Anjuna police will produce the Luthras before the JMFC, Mapusa, on Monday, the day their five-day police custody ends.

Police said that they would not press for police custody for Gurgaon resident Ajay Gupta, 55, a partner of the brothers.




On Saturday, Goa police approached Interpol through the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) seeking that a blue corner notice be issued against UK national Surinder Kumar Khosla, the owner of the property at Arpora on which the nightclub was operating.

Goa police PRO DySP Nilesh Rane said that the step was taken to ascertain Khosla’s whereabouts and to secure his presence for investigation. Police have already issued a lookout notice against him in connection with the case and are yet to locate him.

Goa police, who brought the brothers to the state from Delhi on Wednesday morning, sought 10 days of police custody for the duo .

They argued that custodial interrogation was required to deter them and their associates from fleeing the country.

Other people arrested in connection with the case include Gurgaon resident Ajay Gupta, 55, a partner of the Luthra brothers, New Delhi natives Rajiv Modak, 49, chief general manager, and Priyanshu Thakur, 32, gate manager, along with UP natives Rajveer Singhania, 32, bar manager, Vivek Singh, 27, general manager, and Bharat Kohli from Delhi.

When the fire broke out at the nightclub at around 11.45pm on Dec 6, there were more than 150 tourists attending an event. A preliminary investigation by the police and the directorate of fire services concluded that the fire broke out after electric firecrackers struck the wooden ceiling during the event.

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