NEW DELHI, Dec. 11— A Delhi court on Thursday dismissed the transit anticipatory bail pleas of Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, owners of Birch by Romeo Lane, the Goa nightclub where a fire last week killed 25 people. The brothers, currently in Thailand, had asked for four weeks of protection from arrest upon their return to India.
Additional Sessions Judge Vandana rejected their applications. A detailed order is awaited.
During the hearing, the state of Goa opposed the pleas, arguing that the brothers fled the state after the blaze and had been avoiding legal proceedings. “They left, they concealed, and they are now seeking leniency,” the state counsel told the court, adding that the law does not assist those who evade summons or warrants.
The counsel said serious allegations were pending and non-bailable warrants had already been issued. “This is not a case for granting the privilege of anticipatory bail. The gravity of the offence and their conduct disentitle them from protection,” he argued.
Counsel for the applicants urged the court not to “punish them at the threshold,” saying the brothers were willing to return and cooperate. “If I land in India tonight and the IO tells me to appear at midnight, I will be there,” one lawyer said. He added that transit bail was meant only to provide safe access to the proper court. “When a citizen is willing to submit to the law, the court must extend a helping hand, not a fist,” he told the judge.
