Mapusa: Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, owners of the Arpora nightclub Birch by Romeo Lane wanted in connection with the fire tragedy that claimed 25 lives at the facility, have fled to Thailand, prompting police to seek the help of Interpol to trace them, officials said on Monday.
According to a statement issued by the police, the owners of the nightclub fled to Phuket at 5:30 am on December 7 in an IndiGo Airlines plane, hours after the incident.
A Look Out Circular (LOC) has been issued against the nightclub owners, who have been booked by Goa police in connection with the fire incident. The LOC has been issued by the Bureau of Immigration in Mumbai following a request from Goa police, who have also coordinated with the Interpol division of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to apprehend the nightclub owners at the earliest.
It may be noted that a Goa police team had left for Delhi in search of the nightclub owners following the Arpora fire tragedy. The owners’ escape to Thailand was discovered after a massive manhunt was launched following the filing of an FIR.
During the probe, it was found from the immigration records that the duo had taken a flight to Phuket.
A senior official said this swift exit by Luthras shows their “intent to avoid police investigation”. The official said soon after FIR was filed, police moved swiftly and dispatched a team to Delhi to conduct raids on the addresses of the two accused. “Since they were not available, a notice under appropriate sections of law was pasted on the gate of their house,” the official said.
Earlier in the day, the Goa police team visited the house of Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra in Delhi and questioned their family members.
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”.
Police arrest employee from Delhi
Panaji: A Goa police team Monday arrested a fifth employee of the Arpora nightclub Birch by Romeo Lane from Delhi in connection with the fire tragedy.
Police apprehended Bharat Singh Kohli (49), who was responsible for managing the daily operations of the nightclub on behalf of the owners. Police have obtained a transit remand to bring him to Goa.
So far, the nightclub’s chief general manager Rajiv Modak, general manager Vivek Singh, bar manager Rajiv Singhania and gate manager Riyanshu Thakur have been arrested.
Police are also investigating the role of government officials involved in issuing permits and licences to the nightclub. Officials were summoned for investigation and to verify lapses in compliance and procedural violations. Sources said that police have issued notices to some officials and summoned them for inquiry.
