Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Delhi businessmen Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, who left India shortly after a massive fire at their Goa nightclub claimed 25 lives, have been taken into custody in Thailand on December 11. They will be deported to India soon. The two, known for running the Romeo Lane restaurant chain with branches in several cities across four countries, reportedly flew to Phuket just hours after the tragedy at their establishment, ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’, located in Arpora, North Goa.
They are facing charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, along with serious allegations of negligence. Indian agencies are expected to formally request their deportation so that they can be tried in Goa, according to NDTV. Earlier in the day, the passports of prime accused Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra were suspended, officials said. As per the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Central government or any appointed officer has the authority to suspend passports in accordance with Section 10A of the Passports Act 1967 (the relevant provision is included in the Annexure).
Individuals whose passports have been suspended are not permitted to travel out of the country using that passport. Passports are frequently put on hold in criminal matters, and restoring them necessitates completing legal requirements or stipulations. The following action, as per the sources, will involve the cancellation of passports.
The blaze erupted late on December 6 night while the club was hosting a music event with nearly 100 attendees, many of whom were tourists. Videos from the evening show performers entertaining the crowd with Bollywood numbers. The use of electric firecrackers during the show is suspected to have sparked the inferno. The nightclub quickly turned into a deadly trap due to extensive use of flammable decor and a blatant disregard for fire safety protocols.
Officials found no working fire extinguishers or alarm systems on site. Compounding the disaster was the narrow approach road that prevented fire engines from reaching the venue; they had to be stationed nearly 400 metres away, delaying rescue efforts and making firefighting extremely difficult.
