Goa Court Remands Nightclub Owners to 5-Day Custody After Fire

A Goa court remanded brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in North Goa's Arpora village, to five days of police custody on Wednesday, following their deportation from Thailand after a deadly fire at the venue killed 25 people on December 6.

The fire erupted around midnight during a fire show at the nightclub, near the popular Baga beach tourist area. Preliminary investigations indicate the blaze was triggered by electric firecrackers and spread rapidly due to inadequate safety measures, including a lack of firefighting equipment, emergency exits on the ground and deck floors, and proper evacuation protocols. The incident claimed the lives of 21 staff members and four tourists, with several others injured. Authorities have charged the brothers with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, rash or negligent acts endangering life, and negligent conduct with respect to fire, under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The Luthra brothers left for Phuket, Thailand, hours after the fire broke out, purchasing tickets around 1:17 a.m. on December 7, while emergency teams were still responding at the scene. Goa Police issued an Interpol...