- The nightclub owners face culpable homicide charges in Goa fire killing 25 people
- The Luthra brothers fled to Thailand after the blaze, prompting extradition efforts
- Ajay Gupta tried to evade arrest by admitting himself to a Delhi hospital
As the investigation into the Goa nightclub fire deepens, details have emerged about how three owners - Saurabh Luthra, Gaurav Luthra, and Ajay Gupta - reacted to the news about the blaze that claimed 25 lives and revealed huge violations of safety norms.
The Luthras and Ajay Gupta, who run the nightclub, 'Birch By Romeo Lane' in Goa's Arpora, are in trouble after a case of culpable homicide and negligence was registered in connection with the deadly fire. The Luthras have been detained in Thailand, and efforts are being made to bring them back. Ajay Gupta, on the other hand, was taken into custody from a hospital in Delhi.
How Luthras Reacted To Fire
According to the investigators, the probe has revealed how the three reacted to the news of the fire. The Luthras were reportedly attending a wedding. As soon as they got information about the fire and the potential scale of damage, they called their office in Delhi's Model Town and asked the staff to book tickets to Thailand. They also asked their aide, Bharat Kohli, to rush to the office, collect some documents and drop them at their Mukherjee Nagar home. From the wedding venue, the brothers went straight to their home.
Hours after the blaze began, the brothers were on an IndiGo flight to Phuket in Thailand. Investigators are now trying to fill in the gaps, and the deportation of the Luthras will likely answer several other questions, including why the brothers chose Thailand and not another country. Notably, one of the Luthras also had a long-term UK visa.
Ajay Gupta's Quick Moves
While the Luthras took a flight out of Delhi, their business partner, Ajay Gupta, boarded a plane to the national capital. Gupta, who earlier claimed he was a "silent partner," was actually the most active co-owner, the investigation has found. At the time of the fire, Gupta was in Goa. A call from club manager Priyanshu, now arrested, woke him up. As soon as he learnt of the fire, Gupta boarded a Delhi-bound flight from Dabolim. On returning to Delhi, he went to his Gurugram home and then left in a Toyota Innova with his driver at the wheel. While Gupta's phone was switched off, police managed to track his driver's phone and traced him to the Institute of Brain and Spine in Delhi's Lajpat Nagar. According to the investigators, Gupta knew people in the hospital's management and got himself admitted there to evade arrest. This tactic, however, did not work, and police reached the hospital, busted Gupta's fall claim and took him into custody.
A Tragedy In The Making
The investigation into the fire has revealed how the violation of safety norms turned the nightclub into a tinderbox. The club had no functional fire extinguishers or safety alarms, and the access road was too narrow for fire engines. There was no emergency exit either. The restaurant was found operating without proper permissions and licences, according to the FIR registered after the fire. Despite several warnings, the club management did not rectify the safety lapses, the probe has found. The investigators have also said that a former IPS officer's intervention played a role in disposing of a case against 'Birch By Romeo Lane' in the past. This intervention, investigators say, emboldened the owners to continue flouting norms. And then, a tragedy that was waiting to happen claimed 25 lives.
