Club Owners Arrested After Fire Tragedy
Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, who own the club "Birch by Romeo Lane" in Arpora, Goa, were arrested. This happened after a terrible fire at their club on December 6, where 25 people died.
The brothers, who are used to a fancy lifestyle, spent their first night in the Anjuna police lock-up. There was no fan, and they ate a simple meal of rice, dal, and pickle. They slept on the floor without any mat or blankets. They will stay in police custody until Monday.
Police Questioning Begins
Goa police have started asking the brothers many questions about the fire. They have been asked more than 80 questions about:
- Who helped them run the club.
- How they made decisions for the club.
- Money matters related to the club.
- If they had permission for events held there.
- The role of other partners, managers, and people who organised events.
Medical Check-up and No Special Favours
On Thursday morning, Saurabh Luthra was taken to North Goa District Hospital in Mapusa for a routine medical check. After doctors said he was "fit for lock-up," he was sent back to the police station.
A senior police officer said that the Luthra brothers are not getting any special treatment. The only exception is that someone gives them medicine on time, as ordered by the court. Police also said the brothers are kept in a separate lock-up, away from other people arrested in the same case.
Court Denies Request for Mattresses
The brothers' lawyer, P V Pavithran, asked the court to give them mattresses in police custody. He said Saurabh had a "spinal disc problem" and Gaurav had a "tailbone fracture problem."
However, the public prosecutor, Tejas Pawar, disagreed strongly. He asked, "If they have medical problems, why did they book a ticket and fly to Thailand?"
The judge, Puja Sardesai, first told the police to take the Luthras to a government hospital for a medical check-up. After this was done, they were brought back to court. The judge then looked at the medical report. Doctors at North Goa District Hospital said they were fit and did not need special treatment. Because of this, the judge said no to the brothers' request for mattresses and sent them back to police custody.
Other People Arrested in the Case
Goa police have also arrested other people linked to the club:
- Ajay Gupta (55) from Gurgaon โ a partner of the Luthra brothers.
- Rajiv Modak (49) from New Delhi โ the chief general manager.
- Priyanshu Thakur (32) from New Delhi โ the gate manager.
- Rajveer Singhania (32) from Uttar Pradesh โ the bar manager.
- Vivek Singh (27) from Uttar Pradesh โ the general manager.
- Bharat Kohli from Delhi.
Except for Ajay Gupta, all the other arrested people were sent to jail (judicial custody) on Thursday. Police questioned them about licenses, agreements, event permissions, internal messages, and other evidence. A senior police officer said these questions would be asked again.
