GOA, Dec 11: Two brothers who owned the Goa nightclub where a deadly blaze killed 25 people have been detained in Phuket, Thailand, after fleeing India hours after the incident, officials said Sunday.
Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, co-owners of Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora, were held by Thai authorities following an Interpol Blue Corner Notice issued at India’s request. “They were detained in Phuket and the process to bring them back is underway,” a senior government official said.
The nightclub caught fire late Saturday in what investigators believe was a blast involving a gas cylinder. Even as fire crews battled the blaze and searched for survivors, the brothers left India early Sunday on an IndiGo flight.
Goa Police approached the Central Bureau of Investigation to initiate the Interpol notice after discovering that the duo had already left the country. “A team will travel to Thailand to take custody of them and bring them back to face trial,” a senior police official said.
The blaze has triggered widespread outrage in Goa, with questions now swirling over the owners’ rapid departure and the nightclub’s safety standards.
