Mapusa court on Monday extended the police remand of the Luthra brothers, Saurabh and Gaurav, till December 26. The brothers are co-owners of the 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub in Arpora, where 25 people died and several others were injured in a fire on December 6. Their custody was extended by the Mapusa Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) court. The court also sent Ajay Gupta, the third partner of the club, to 14 days' judicial custody.
The Luthra brothers were brought from Delhi to Goa on December 16 after being deported from Thailand. A Delhi court had granted Goa police a 48-hour transit remand when they landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport. They were produced before the Mapusa JMFC court on December 17, which granted five-day police custody.
Advocate Vishnu Joshi, representing the victims’ families, told ANI that new revelations have emerged. Police allege that the brothers’ trade licence and other related documents were forged.
The Goa Police said the firework event at the Arpora nightclub was organised without proper fire safety equipment. They added that the accused are the main owners and had control over the club’s operations, safety arrangements, permissions and events.
Police said the brothers organised the fire show despite knowing the club lacked emergency exit doors on the ground and deck floors. Custodial presence of the accused in Goa was required at a critical stage of the investigation.
The Goa Police filed a criminal case on December 7 at the Police Station Arpora Anjuna, North Goa, under sections 105, 125, 125(a), 125(b) and 287, read with section 3(5) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023.
(With inputs from ANI)