Goa Nightclub Fire Case: Court Remands Luthra Brothers to 5-Day Police Custody

The Goa judiciary and police are coordinating to question Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, co-owners of Birch by Romeo Lane, after a December fire. The case includes custody remand, medical claim interpretations, and a timeline of deportation and return, with investigations into safety lapses at the venue.

A Goa court has given police five days to question Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, co-owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora, after a fire on December 6 killed 25 people in North Goa. The Luthra brothers were produced before the Judicial Magistrate First Class in Mapusa.

During the remand hearing, defence counsel asked that the accused be allowed a mattress in custody, citing unspecified health issues. The court noted that the initial medical check had found both fit and raised doubts about the need for special arrangements inside the lock-up.

Goa nightclub fire: Luthra brothers’ medical claims and court response

One of the accused, Saurabh Luthra, told the court that he has an "L4-L5 problem in his spine" while his brother has a "tailbone-related concern." He said, "During the medical examination, only an X-Ray was done. There was no MRI, which would flag this."

The magistrate examined the medical reports, ordered another medical evaluation, and briefly postponed proceedings. When the hearing resumed in the evening, the court refused the request for a mattress. The judge said the medical findings did not show any need for extra support in custody and confirmed five days of police remand.

Goa nightclub fire: Deportation, custody and investigation timeline

Goa Police detained the Luthra brothers shortly after their flight landed at Delhi airport on December 16, following deportation from Thailand. Delhi and Goa Police officers took them into joint custody as soon as immigration formalities were completed, before the two were moved to Goa for further investigation.

Their travel history is central to the investigation. Police say the pair left India for Thailand within hours of the December 6 blaze at their nightclub in Arpora. They were brought back to Goa on December 17 by a state police team, ten days after they allegedly fled.

The accused were first taken to a primary health centre in Siolim for basic checks, then shifted to the North Goa District Hospital for detailed assessment. Visuals from Mapusa showed one of the brothers being escorted by police after the hospital examination, underlining the tight security around the case.

The court has directed that the brothers return to face the magistrate on December 22, when their police custody ends. Investigators are expected to question them on fire safety measures at Birch by Romeo Lane, possible lapses, and their decision to leave India soon after the incident.

The case has drawn sustained coverage from Goa-based reporters tracking law enforcement and governance. Among them is Pavneet Singh Chadha, Goa Correspondent of The Indian Express, whose recent work on the nightclub fire and related legal proceedings highlights a focus on detailed, local reporting of major political, administrative, and safety issues in the state.